Race in Rochester

Today I came across a very interesting series of maps created by Eric Fischer. He used 2000 census data to map major US cities by race. What was striking was the level of segregation that persists is nearly all American cities today. Here is what Rochester's racial map looks like:

The red dots represent whites, the blue dots are blacks, orange are hispanics, and green are asians. Each dot represents 25 people. You can look at racial maps for other US cities here.

Meet me in St Louis

My time in Rochester has come to an end. Sadly I have to leave our fair city to finish college. I will still use this blog to comment on development issues in Rochester, but it will be from a distant perspective. For those of you who have enjoyed my work here I am starting a new blog Quaint Louis to talk about development in the Arch City. I'll be sure to bring a little Roc to the Lou:

The next High Falls/Corn Hill/Southwedge etc.

The new urbanization trend is alive and well in Rochester. Downtown has a residential vacancy rate below 4%; there simply is not enough housing downtown to meet demand. As up and coming neighborhoods like the Southwedge mature, urban pioneers will be looking for the next edgy neighborhood to inhabit. Here are two areas bordering downtown that have the gritty urban feel and majestic warehouses that invite the new class of urban dwellers. All they need is a little love and a lot of investment and they could become the next trendy neighborhoods. 

THE CANAL DISTRICT

Situated between the Cascade District of downtown and the historic Susan B. Anthony neighborhood, the Canal District was once an industrial area. Today its warehouses appear abandoned but some operations like Volunteers of America and Neal Barret Woodworking have moved in. Converting these warehouses into lofts, new construction to fill vacant lots, and new streets could really transform this sleeping giant next to downtown:

Canal District Today

Future Canal District. Light blue areas are for new construction, dark blue are existing buildings.

THE BOTTLE DISTRICT

This area sandwiched between the Genesee Brewery and the Coca-Cola bottling plant is a much less stable part of town than the Canal District, but its marketing potential is far more interesting. There are many great warehouses along St. Paul St that are begging for residential conversion. The proximity to the falls is a significant asset for the area. The brewery has tours but I dont think the Coke plant does; if it did that would make two big draws to the area. Add some microbreweries, pubs, and an olde tyme soda parlor and you've turned the neighborhood into a real destination. 

Bottle District Today

Future Bottle District. Light blue areas are for new construction, dark blue are existing buildings.

Hot development sites for post-recession Rochester

Despite the recession, downtown is experiencing a development renaissance. Over $700 million are invested in projects downtown. This number would be much higher if the recession did not take several projects out of the development pipeline. As the economy recovers it will become easier for developers to access credit to finance these projects. Rochester made national headlines as one of the few cities that endured the recession relatively unscathed. This reputation should attract capital from large banks looking for a secure market to invest in. When credit markets do open up, here are the hot development sites that will likely see the first dollars:

BLOCK F
Probably the hottest development site in the city outside of Midtown. This site has had many proposals but has faced opposition from Grove Place neighbors who want the development to blend with the neighborhood. Its location in the heart of the Eastman School campus makes the land very valuable.

 FRONT ST
This brownfield site is all that remains of Rochester's famed Front St. Despite clean-up costs its prime location on the river and in between popular St Paul and High Falls neighborhoods make it very valuable.

EXCHANGE & COURT

Another riverfront property, this parking lot currently hosts the city's concert series 'Party in the Park'. This site is next to Blue Cross Arena and Corn Hill Landing.

67 CHESTNUT

This ugly white building drastically increased in value ever since the redevelopment of Midtown was announced. Behind its sterile facade the building may have good bones. 

D&C unveils three potential sites for MCC Damon campus

In last Friday's edition of the Democrat and Chronicle three potential sites for MCC's new downtown campus were unveiled. The article predates an official announcement from MCC. Here are the sites listed in the D&C:

1. Kodak's 7+ acre parking lot in high falls
2. Three Parcels on the Midtown site
3. St. Joseph's Park

I find it hard to believe that MCC was giving any serious consideration to the Kodak site because there hasn't been any dialog between the company and the college. MCC wants their downtown campus to be in the middle of downtown, and high falls is a little to far from the center for the Kodak site to be in the top of MCC's list.

Midtown would be a great place for MCC to go if the were aiming for the RBTL theater site. The other parcels listed in the D&C don't fit as well--parcels A and C flank either side of Midtown tower where high end apartments and condos will be. Parcel B is in the butt of the Cadillac hotel. That whole side of the midtown site seems better suited for office or hotel space than a community college.

The St. Joseph's Park site seems like the best of the three sites. It's a little farther off the beaten path than the midtown site, but its between the St Paul Quarter, East End/Eastman, and Main St. It will also be close to the new transit center at Mortimer St. The St. Joseph neighborhood is a blank slate because it lacks a concrete identity beyond the relic of an old church facade. MCC could redefine the neighborhood as an urban college town and spur new development around it. I see a bright future for MCC at this site:

Inner Loop reconstruction

The days of the Inner Loop may be numbered. In a few years the bridges over the loop need to be replaced, and the city plans on telling the state to use the money for bridge repair to fill in the eastern portion of the loop instead. This portion from Main St. to I-490 is the least traveled. The state, which is responsible for maintaining the road, will actually save money in the long run through lower maintenance costs.

There is one thing about the Inner Loop that I think needs to be preserved. When I was just getting acquainted with downtown the street system was very confusing to me. Despite this I was confident driving around downtown—I knew how matter how lost I got all I had to do was keep going straight and I would hit the Inner Loop. If the Inner Loop truly disappears, so does its ability to orient drivers and pedestrians. I suggest it still be signed ‘Inner Loop’ to keep its identity as loop around town, but add ‘Boulevard’ to instill its new identity as a pedestrian friendly street. If the street retains its route 940T (Inner Loop) designation it will continue to be maintained by NYDOT funds instead of local taxes.

I have seen some of the plans for the new street grid and I wasn’t satisfied. They featured round-abouts that can be confusing for drivers and therefore dangerous for pedestrians. The ideal redesign for the loop would have the following features:

-One way streets eliminated

-Restored alignment of University Ave and neighborhood streets

-Park Ave connected to Manhattan Sq Park pedestrian mall

Here is what the eastern portion of the Inner Loop looks like today along side my redesign of the Loop. The green spaces are parcels of land freed up by the removal of the expressway or other street alterations.

Proposed skate park for downtown

A few weeks ago I noticed metal brackets appear around the building I work to keep skateboarders off. It got me wondering if there was a place for skateboarding in Rochester. Today I found out about Roc City Park, a proposed skate park off South Ave under the Freddie Sue aka Fredrick Douglas Susan B Anthony Memorial Bridge. I was surprised to find the proposal has approval from the city and is in the process of raising $500,000 to begin construction. Here is a rendering of the park I found on its website roccitypark.com:

I am very excited to know that the city is behind incorporating the skating community into downtown. The park will do a good job bridging the gap between downtown and the popular Southwedge neighborhood.