Groundbreaking marks progress at High Falls

The city celebrated Wednesday the groundbreaking of the "Mills at High Falls." The complex is being called "affordable downtown living," and is being aimed at attracting middle class residents. The complex will consist of one and two bedroom lofts and townhouses, and will include some retail and office space. It sits on a former parking lot donated by Kodak and will be managed by the Urban League of Rochester. Construction should take about a year, and it should be ready for the first residents to move in by next spring.

This is one of several projects that are either underway or are wrapping up in Rochester's historic mill district. There are three old buildings under renovation that soon will be available for residential, office, or retail space. And Tribeca - a new bar geared toward single women in their thirties and forties - should now be open in the former Keys Martini and Piano Bar space on Mill Street. The strictly 21 and up entertainment scene will have three bars, each with a different theme, according to a write up in the Rochester City Newspaper (see link to the right in the side bar and look under archives for Jan. 16, 2008). By avoiding reaching out the college crowd, general manager Mark Monti tells City that he hopes to avoid the problems of underage drinking and rowdiness that contributed to the demise of several other bars in the area.

This is a great start to reviving the inner city. Many college grads and young professionals prefer the urban lifestyle that puts living space in close proximity to area shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Rochester is finally showing signs of capitalizing on this demographic. There are several housing projects now planned in or near downtown that would offer market rate housing options - some with light retail space included. The city is expected to name a developer to build a residential complex in the footprint of the former South Avenue garage helix ramp. And several developers are competing for the parking lot across from the Eastman Theater on East Main Street. While one developer submitted plans for a hotel, several others showed possible townhouse or apartment complexes.

Many people consider Rochester a dead city. I don't feel that is the case. I drove through downtown for the first time during the workday in late December or early January. There were thousands of people packing the parks, sidewalks, and streets. The biggest problem is that the center city area is filled predominantly with office buildings. And unlike in larger cities, these buildings are not multi-use, that is to say there is not a mixture of office, residential, and commercial. The tall building are completely offices and restaurants that cater to those offices. there is not a lot of space left for people. That explains the striking difference in the amount of people during the day and at night. During the day there are thousands of people out and about who work downtown. After 6, when everyone has gone home, the place looks like a ghost town (with the exception of the East End, which is typically packed with people on any given night). That is what we have change, and it looks like we are on the right track.