Rochester Development News

[bdaly]

Originally Posted by RochesterAddict

I guess we disagree, but no big deal, I think this looks pretty sweet...lol.

I toured their facility once while I was working on my MBA, and it's an interesting place. The slide was featured in the story, and they also have a soundproof scream room. They have a day of the month where they surprise employees with a random activity. Two examples include giving everyone $50 and they had to go to Eastview to buy a certain co-worker a gift, while another was flying to NYC to a spa. Of course, ad agencies are famous for these types of not-so-cheap activites, and then laying off people in an instant when they lose an account. Luckily, DS seems to be different, and they have a larger number of accounts (so they're not terribly dependent on one company).

[blangjr21]

That infill in East Rochester is interesting because it will mean that the entire village will be developed. That parcel has been for sale for some time, and it is nice to see someone will be filling in that empty field in the middle of a townhouse complex.

Wouldn't want to pay the ER village tax bill though.

[RochesterAddict]

Ad campaign pitches city to businesses
Democrat and Chronicle

With the help of Rochester's familiar circle-R logo, the city's Economic Development Department is launching an advertising campaign to encourage business owners to either keep their companies here or move them in from out of town.

The logo will be used as a brand identification for this area, according to economic development director Carlos Carballada. The idea behind the ads is to promote the area's arts and cultural scene as one of the world-class strengths of Rochester.

Arts and culture are part of quality of life issues considered when businesses locate here.

Rochester has a surprising number of world-class arts and cultural assets, Carballada said.

"People are amazed when they realize we have the world's largest and most complete museum of photography and film," he said. "Or that we have the only museum of play anywhere or that our Geva Theatre features Broadway actors."

Commuters traveling on Interstate 490 will get their first look today at 48-foot billboards promoting two popular Rochester cultural attractions: the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film and Strong National Museum of Play.

On Interstate 490 West at University Avenue on the right side of the road will be a billboard featuring characters from movie The Wizard of Oz with the slogan "There's No Place Like ... Rochester" to promote the Eastman museum. It has more than 30,000 film titles, including the master negatives of The Wizard of Oz.

On Interstate 490 East at Mount Read Boulevard on the left side of the road will be a billboard featuring a young girl sitting on a chessboard with the slogan "Forget Vegas. This Is The Place To Play!" This ad promotes the Strong National Museum of Play, the only museum devoted to play.

Future billboards placed in the heaviest traveled areas of Interstate 490 will feature 20th-century composer George Gershwin with the tagline "Gershwin Would Say We've Got Fascinatin' Rhythm" to promote the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

An ad in the Rochester Business Journal will feature a container of low-fat yogurt with the tagline "In A Lot of Towns, This Is As Good As Culture Gets." The ad copy asks the question, "Do you really want to expand your business in a town that thinks a sonata is some foreign automobile?"

Also starting today, these same images will appear in full-page ads in the July issues of business publications including Business Week, Forbes, Fortune and Inc.

The ad campaign was unveiled Tuesday at the Strong Museum.

The city has partnered with Monroe County, Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester, VisitRochester, Rochester Business Alliance, Greater Rochester Enterprise and the Ad Council of Rochester along with many members of the Arts & Cultural Council.

Frontline Advertising of Rochester donated the cost of writing, designing and producing the ads.

Mayor Bob Duffy said it takes a team to put together this campaign, but there was no competition among the partners involved.

"There is an abundance of opportunity here," Duffy said.

Earlier Tuesday, Visit-Rochester held its 76th annual meeting at the Riverside Convention Center where a new mobile visitors center and redesigned Web site were unveiled.

Keynote speaker Thomas Ranese, chief marketing officer of Empire State Development, discussed state tourism.

Ranese said tourism to New York state generated 155 million visitors and $47 billion in direct and indirect spending. For 2007, the estimated economic impact of tourism to the state grew by nearly 10 percent.

The rising price of gas is a challenge for consumers who still want to get away.

Ranese said that 80 million people live within a three- to five-hour drive of New York and that the exchange rate favors travel to New York state.

The challenge is to remind consumers that New York state is just a tank of gas away. Working with tourism and film offices, the goal is to create an image that will make people want to stay.

Ranese said that while the I Love NY logo is the most recognizable in the world, it's been diluted.

People outside of the state think the logo only refers to New York City.


Visit Rochester has a new site: http://visitrochester.com/


Rochester wants to buy armory for housing options
Democrat and Chronicle

Redevelopment sites in southeast, southwest and downtown Rochester all await proposals for market-rate housing options, and the city is preparing to push even more property into the pipeline.

In the past week, the city has issued requests for proposals for Valley Court Apartments at 1170 Genesee St., south of Brooks Landing, and for the old Rascal Café lot at 920 E. Main St., northwest of the Gibbs Street intersection.

Negotiations continue, meanwhile, for the city to buy the 12-acre Culver Road armory site, near Cobbs Hill Park and Interstate 490.

Each site has a unique history: Valley Court Apartments, for example, first opened as a Jewish orphanage in 1916. And in each case, redevelopment would put the property on the tax rolls.

"It's lifting the lifeboat, if you will ... for everybody in the city," said Bill Pritchard, vice president of the City Council.

In addition, the city administration has said it intends to seek development proposals later this year for the Josh Lofton building near the I-490 overpass on West Main Street and for a city-owned parking lot on the northwest corner of West Main and Plymouth Avenue.

"I'm very excited about what's going on right now, because for a very long time we have been developing affordable housing. Really, what hasn't been happening is market-rate housing," said Bret Garwood, director of housing and project development for the city. "That we are moving to a place where we can create both is a really good direction."

Valley Court will continue a revival of the South River Corridor housing market, and the Rascal lot has been called the most important undeveloped site downtown. Garwood echoed those sentiments and added that the armory is "one of the most fantastic development opportunities we have in the city." Early ideas include single-family residences, some attached and some not, behind the armory, and mixed-use redevelopment of the building itself.

Discussions of what to do with the World War I-era armory have been going on for years. One idea is to convert its main hall into four or five theaters for small-venue performing arts groups.

"We've probably looked at every attic and basement and storeroom (in the area)," said Rochester Community Players president Peter Scribner, referring to his and the Downstairs Cabaret's searches for permanent facilities. "The Culver Road armory is so superior to anything we've seen."

Were he to build new, Scribner said, "I would almost lay it out exactly as the armory is laid out. I would have moved the bathrooms to a different location, but that's about it. ... It's just that ideal for what we want to do."

Neighborhood leaders also want to talk to the public library, the YMCA and others. "The community has to kind of help us define what we want and don't want," said Bill Jones, executive director of Third Rochester Enterprise Corp., a privately funded group focusing on the Upper Monroe neighborhood.

City officials are talking with the state about how they will acquire the armory, then sell it to private developers. The New York Army National Guard is moving out, relocating a maintenance unit to the airport facility by Sept. 1 and transferring the surplus property to the Office of General Services.

If the city acquires the property, which is currently assessed at $1.4 million, it can influence what develops instead of having the site auctioned off to the highest bidder, said Kathy Sheets, the city's director of real estate. The armory likely will be vacant for a time, because the city wants to conduct environmental, building condition and market studies.

Both the armory and the three rear buildings of Valley Court Apartments, used for the orphanage until conversion to apartments in 1931, are eligible for the state and national registers of historic places. The front two Valley Court buildings were built in 1959 and 1961, respectively, and will be torn down.

The Culver Road armory, built for the cavalry, is one of three historic armories in the city — the others being the arsenal, since converted for use by Geva Theatre, and the castle-like East Main Street state militia armory, restored and reopened in 2006 as a multi-purpose arena with office space.

Downtown, the Rascal lot, bordered by Grove Place and Main, Gibbs and Chestnut streets, is the last development parcel in the city's Cultural District. The 1.5-acre block was home to St. Peter's Presbyterian Church and single-family homes before Levi's Music Store and the cafe moved in. The block was razed in the mid- to late-1980s. Mayor Robert Duffy had mentioned it as a possible site for a midsized theater, before tabling the idea.

Today the property belongs to the Cultural Center Commission, which sought and then rejected development proposals for the site last year. Initial proposals ranged from a $20 million hotel and townhouse complex to a $92 million, 15-story glass and brick high-rise.




Dont forget Taste of Rochester is this weekend, Ill be there! It looks like they listened and spaced things out this year, good stuff: http://www.tasteofrochester.net/

[Dimension]

Rochester has world class art and culture??? No offense to anyone though/.

[blangjr21]

I had forgotten that taste of Rochester was this weekend, now I'll most definitely be there...it looks huge compared to last year.

[RochesterAddict]

Originally Posted by Dimension

Rochester has world class art and culture??? No offense to anyone though/.

The George Eastman house is the National Museum of Photography.

The Strong Museum of Play is the National Toy Museum.

The Memorial Art Gallery has Van Gogh, Monet, Egyptian ruins, and many other amazing exhibits.

Artisan Works is a really cool gallery/museum, equivalent to the American Visions Museum in Baltimore. (for reference)

The Little movie theatre independent movie house.

The 300 festivals we hold each year.

The Science Museum and Planetarium.

GEVA theatre, Rochester Broadway Theatre League, Downstairs Cabaret, Blackfriars, the Philharmonic, and the Opera League of Rochester.

The Eastman School of Music.

Artwalk along University Ave and all the galleries and stores around University Ave.

Garth Fagan Dance Troupe and the Nazareth Performance Hall.

The Lamberton Conservatory and the Zoo.

and many others I havent listed.

I dont feel like google-ing them and placing links, but you can do so if youre interested.

[andrew585]

Originally Posted by Dimension

Rochester has world class art and culture??? No offense to anyone though/.

This is a board to discuss Rochester Development news, not for trolling.

[blangjr21]

Don't worry andrew and rocaddict he's just another Make Believes fan who has a severe inferiority complex...back to the foruming!

[RochesterAddict]

Rochester business and city leaders kick off 'WeRoc' campaign
Democrat and Chronicle

Rochester business community and city officials launched a new campaign today called “WeRoc,” aimed at building a stronger sense of pride in the area.

The campaign, or movement as its founders would like to call it, is the brainchild of Sharon Napier, president and CEO of the Partners + Napier; Jeffery Hayzlett, Kodak’s chief business development officer and vice president; and Greater Rochester Enterprise.

The WeRoc campaign will highlight and promote some of the achievements of Rochester that include its 890,000 patients, large number of festivals, and Rochester native products.

GRE will be spearheading the efforts for the campaign.

The committee, made up of public relation firms around the areas, set up a website, www.weroc.org, where the community can blog, lend support or checkout WeRoc activities.

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks said this kind of community pride has been something she and other Rochesterians have tried to push for quite sometime, but haven’t had the support.


http://weroc.org/component/option,co...page/Itemid,1/ - Not bad.



lean, mean and yellow
Rochester Insider

Roc City Rickshaw offers an open-air alternative to taxis.
There's a new way to get around Rochester: by pedal power, someone else's pedal power.

For a fee, a company called Roc City Rickshaw will take you around downtown, even late at night between bars or from a bar to your front door, by pedicab, a three-wheeled bicycle with a carriage in the back.

The company was started by childhood friends Brian VanDerWoude and Chhaya En, both 28 and of Irondequoit.

Both had lived outside the Rochester area and were familiar with pedicab services elsewhere (in Orlando, Fla., and Cambodia).

When they returned home, each thought about starting a pedicab service here. Although, it took a while before VanDerWoude mentioned it to En and the two realized they were on the same page.

"It was pretty random," En says.

And, while the company is a side-project for the two (VanDerWoude works at Paychex, and En works at Ernst & Young), they hope that as an environmentally friendly alternative to taxis, their pedicabs will become a mainstay of transportation in Rochester.

"We can sense that people like the idea, but they're still nervous about getting on (the pedicab,)" VanDerWoude says. "There is a comfort level we need to establish that we're here to stay and that it's OK to hop on."

Roc City Rickshaw charges $4 for a seven-minute ride for one passenger, $7 for two passengers, and $1 for each additional minute.

The service is available from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday (they're hoping their late-night service will discourage people from drinking and driving), and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, from April to October.

Ultimately, the company plans to expand its services to Rochester-area festivals and Charlotte Beach and offer guided tours downtown.

By making this form of short-distance urban travel available here, VanDerWoude says, "We're bringing the big city to Rochester."

www.roccityrickshaw.com

[bdaly]

Originally Posted by RochesterAddict

Dont forget Taste of Rochester is this weekend, Ill be there! It looks like they listened and spaced things out this year, good stuff: http://www.tasteofrochester.net/

Stopped by this afternoon, and they did a much, much better job with it IMO. Of course, at that time, the crowd was a bit light as the weather looked threatening (so it wasn't the best time to gauge how the new setup handles crowds). After a brief shower, things cleared up for the rest of the day, so hopefully they did well the rest of the way. Hopefully this will become a real fixture and they can get more truly local restaurants in there--I had a great bowl of chicken chili at the Stock Exchange Restaurant's booth.

[Dimension]

Originally Posted by blangjr21

Don't worry andrew and rocaddict he's just another Make Believes fan who has a severe inferiority complex...back to the foruming!

All I am saying is that many places say they have world class art and culture.

Besides, I have nothing to gain from attacking Rochester.
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How is PAETECH(?) going??? Do they have renders out yet???

[wny]

Originally Posted by Dimension

Besides, I have nothing to gain from attacking Rochester.

Then why do it? It's a medium size urbanized area of 685,128 that offers all you would expect of an area that size. Some of it's offerings are indeed world class just as are some of Toronto's. Just because Toronto is bigger does not mean all of it's offerings are world class. Case in point, I saw Wicked in Toronto and Wicked in Buffalo. The Bufalo production was far superior to the Toronto one. Things are unique in various places, is there anything in Toronto that could compare to the Strong Musuem? I think not, so does that mean Toronto is not world class?

Population source: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet...mat=&-_lang=en

[Dimension]

I don't "live" in Toronto. I have been in Toronto for a while and till the 4th of July to meet and get to know my nephews.

[bjfan82]

World class art & culture can be found in places large and small. For example, there is a good scene in Jamestown, NY (30,000 peeps) mostly related to Chautauqua Institution and Lucille Ball. But nonetheless, Rochester definitely has a quality arts scene, one of the many reasons that make Rochester a great city/region.

[bjfan82]

World class art & culture can be found in places large and small. For example, there is a good scene in Jamestown, NY (30,000 peeps) mostly related to Chautauqua Institution and Lucille Ball. But nonetheless, Rochester definitely has a quality arts scene, one of the many reasons that make Rochester a great city/region.

[RochesterAddict]

WeRoc aims to sharpen edge of Rochester's pride
Democrat and Chronicle

Be proud of your city, and do it with attitude
"If You're Trash Talkin' Rochester, You Better Be Ordering a Garbage Plate."

That's just one of the many messages coming out of a "WeRoc" campaign launched Thursday by members of the business community and city officials.

The campaign, or movement, as its founders like to call it, features five key messages aimed at building a strong sense of pride for the area.

Mayor Robert Duffy said he is sad to say that he thinks the bulk of the anti-Rochester criticism is spurred from individuals born and raised in the area who refuse to acknowledge the changes happening in the city.

"We got away from our pride," said the mayor. "But it's back and so is this city."

The basis of the campaign can be traced to a conversation Eastman Kodak's Jeffery Hayzlett and Sharon Napier, president and CEO of Partners + Napier, had about rebranding the city, which in turn benefits businesses.

Hayzlett was recruited from South Dakota to be Kodak's chief business development officer.

"The brand is nothing more than a promise of what we're going to do," said Hayzlett, a former tech entrepreneur. "We need to start thinking with a little bit different attitude, walk a little bit with a swagger and with some pride in our chest because we're Rochester," he said at the campaign unveiling.

For Napier it was a pro bono project, which she extended to other public relation firms in the area. With the support of the Greater Rochester Enterprise, which will spearhead the movement, more than $600,000 was collected in cash along with an additional $400,000 of in-kind donations.

The campaign features a couple of themes that promote Rochester products, schools, accomplishments and quality of living. The WeRoc committee set up a Web site at www.weroc.org, where the community can blog, lend support and check out WeRoc activities.

"There's a lot of things going on, but what's different about this is that all the different organizations are talking to each other and meeting with each other to get on the same page as a collaborative effort," said Mark Peterson, managing director at GRE.

A number of companies such as Bausch and Lomb, Wegmans Food Markets and Xerox Corp. have already signed on as partners.

"We have a lot, we have great schools, a great workforce, we have world class culture and we have a community that knows how to give back," said Napier.




The new site for the Capron Street Lofts is out: http://csl.pugby.com/Home.aspx

Prices and layouts are reflected, looks like they are doing a nice job.



The Cox Building is almost ready for leasing. http://www.rochesterdowntown.com/liv...ding_r.php?127



I didnt know the Gauss Building was going residential either.
http://www.rochesterdowntown.com/liv...ding_r.php?114


Two more Midtown stores to remain downtown
Democrat and Chronicle

As Midtown Plaza merchants disclose their relocation plans, two more said today that they will remain in downtown Rochester.

Midtown will close to the public July 25 and merchants will relocate no later than July 31. Midtown is to be torn down next year to make way for PAETEC Holding Corp.’s new headquarters and other development.

In the latest moving plans, Pert’s Boutique will close July 25 and reopen July 31 on the first floor of the Cox Building, 55 Mortimer St., according to owner Pert Pointer.

The Abbott’s Frozen Custard store at Midtown also will close July 25. It will reopen in early August in the Warner Building, 72 St. Paul St.


Not Rochester, but Canandaigua keeps growing:

Changes ahead for Canandaigua Lake
WHEC 10

Many people are concerned about possible changes to the west side of Canandaigua Lake. Developers are hoping to build high-end homes and a boating community, but many residents are saying 'leave it alone'.

Canandaigua residents seem to feel differently about change

"We get people from all over the country coming to Canandaigua Lake. They come here because it's beautiful, it's pristine and that can all change," said Canandaigua resident Al Kraus.

"We're not driving horse and buggies up and down the street anymore quite frankly and people have to accept change for the positive," said Canandaigua resident Marty McMillan.

But Al Kraus said, the $70 million project doesn't seem like a positive change to him.

"It will set a precedent that will probably lead to a lot more of this going on in the future," said Kraus.

But Project Developer Steve Mancini said this shouldn't be a concern.

"The only way anybody else could do another project like this is if there was another commercial marina with upland properties," said Mancini.

The plan is to build 70 homes, costing anywhere from $800,000 to $1.5 million. The goal is to create a boating community with a clubhouse by the water. Mancini said opposition comes with the territory.

The plan was first proposed three years ago, but because some Canandaigua residents are opposed to it, it's taking a long time to get approval. Mancini said if all goes well, he'll be able to start building in the springtime.

The Canandaigua residents who are against the development say another major concern is the negative effects it could have on the environment.

[RochesterAddict]

Originally Posted by bdaly

Stopped by this afternoon, and they did a much, much better job with it IMO. Of course, at that time, the crowd was a bit light as the weather looked threatening (so it wasn't the best time to gauge how the new setup handles crowds). After a brief shower, things cleared up for the rest of the day, so hopefully they did well the rest of the way. Hopefully this will become a real fixture and they can get more truly local restaurants in there--I had a great bowl of chicken chili at the Stock Exchange Restaurant's booth.

I went on Friday night and had some great food and really enjoyed myself. There were so many people there by 10pm that it was wall to wall, but I agree, they did a much better job laying out the festival this year. Good time.

[RochesterAddict]

Originally Posted by Dimension

All I am saying is that many places say they have world class art and culture.

Besides, I have nothing to gain from attacking Rochester.
--------------------------------------------------------------
How is PAETECH(?) going??? Do they have renders out yet???

PAETEC does not have renderings yet. They said they should have something to show us by Fall. MAT keeps us informed with what the newspaper does not.

Here, 2 stories to learn about Rochester history and culture:

http://democratandchronicle.com/apps...19/1003/NEWS01

Excerpt:
Hiram W. Sibley, for example, donated an extensive music library to the University of Rochester in 1904. Initially it was housed in the Prince Street building his father had funded. Later it was moved to the Eastman School of Music, and it is now the largest music library affiliated with any college or university in the United States, according to the Sibley Music Library's Web site.



http://democratandchronicle.com/apps...09/1003/NEWS01


Some of the wealthiest people in the nation once called Rochester, NY home. Now we have the next generation of wealthy philanthropists. Golisano, Gleason, Wolk, Polisenni, Chesonis, Glazer, Wegman and many other names found at the Genesee Valley Club, Oak Hill, and the Country Club of Rochester are the modern day Sibley's. They help to fund and grow our cultural scene.

[Dimension]

Oak Hill is about $25,000 in order to be considered and then I think it is $40,000 per year and you have to spend at least $500 at the club house a month, if you don't they bill you the missing amount.
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Why doesn't Wegmans just build a tower instead of going in to office parks and renting space.

[Sabretooth]

Kroger has a sizeable mid-rise in downtown Cincinnati (my gf's sister works there); of course they're a much larger company than Wegmans.

If you're going to apply that argument to Wegmans, you probably could to Tops as well (at least before the sad chapter of their history where they were owned by A-hole).

"Make Believes" - I like that!