Brooks Landing Project - Rochester Wiki

The Brooks Landing Project is a redevelopment project centered on the intersection of Brooks Avenue and Genesee Street in the 19th Ward. The project includes an 80 room Staybridge Suites Hotel, a new retail and office building in part occupied by the University of Rochester, Boulder Coffee Co. and additional retail space along Genesee Street, to create a "college town" environment in an area directly across from the University of Rochester (connected by the footbridge) while meeting needs of neighborhood residents and tourists.

Another major part of the project is the creation of a boardwalk along the Genesee River, boat docking facilities, improvements to the biking/walking trail, and amenities such as benches, and historical markers.

The hotel developer is Christensen Corporation of Minneapolis, MN. Christensen Corporation acquired the development rights to the office and retail complex from the original developer for that portion of the development, Flaum Management Company Inc . The City will develop the waterfront area.

Site work began in September 2006. The hotel was completed in November of 2008. Construction of the office and retail complex began in the May 2008.

The nearby Riverview Apartments will provide housing for 400 University of Rochester students.

Planned Retailers

Extended Stay Hotel: Staybridge Suites
Major Restaurant
Smaller Ethnic Restaurants: California Rollin'
Brooks Landing Market: a community oriented natural foods store
Bakery
Coffee Shop: Boulder Coffee Co.
University of Rochester Offices

Documentation

Lower Genesee Street Revitalization Strategy: A Comprehensive Redevelopment Plan Prepared by the Neighborhood Planning Workshop Department of City & Regional Planning Cornell_University
Brooks Landing Revitalization Project Environmental Assessment, Volume 1 (32MB PDF) and Volume 2 (111MB PDF), 2005-05-13.
Official web page: http://www.sector4cdc.org/brooks/

News

UR, Rochester plan 19th Ward redevelopment, story in the Campus Times, 2003-12-04
Sticking it to the 19th Ward: Brooks Landing has been on the table for 20 years, story in the City Newspaper, 2004-04-21
Brooks Landing: 1 more hurdle, story in the Democrat & Chronicle, 2005-06-13

The Brooks Landing project would use about 1.4 acres of the 802-acre Genesee Valley Park. To make up for that, the city proposes expanding Turning Point Park on the north side by more than 19 acres, most of it marshland and open water.

The aim is not just economic development in the 19th Ward, but to tie UR into the city more, "so there will be a purpose to go over that bridge," said City Council President Lois Giess.

2005-08-09, Democrat & Chronicle. $61 million flows into local improvement plans.

UR President Joel Seligman said about 10 percent of university students live in the 19th Ward and more than 10 percent of faculty live in the area.

"Most universities have what is called a college town or a university town, a retail area which immediately surrounds it," he said.

"We don't. We'd like to see one and we see Brooks Landing as possibly the first steps in the development of exactly that type of ultimate outcome."

2005-10-25, Democrat & Chronicle, Brooks Landing plan moves ahead.

What's next: Street construction on South Plymouth Avenue will be completed, along with utility relocation and some environmental remediation along an old railroad right of way. Then construction can begin, possibly next spring, on the promenade, boat docks, restaurant, hotel and parking lot.

2005-11-03, Campus Times, Regurgitating old news.
2005-11-10, Ground breaking at 10am.
2008-11-10, Ribbon cutting at 10am, exactly 3 years to the day!

Other Links

From http://www.aacei-gv.org/programs/AACE%20February%20Meeting%20Notice.pdf:

Brooks Landing has been in the works for about 20 years and is about to become reality. Located along the Genesee River across from the University of Rochester and near the intersection of Genesee St. and Brooks Ave., the $17.2 million project covering approximately six acres will be constructed in three phases. Key elements include an 80-room extended-stay hotel, a 4,900 s.f. restaurant, 20,000 to 25,000 s.f. of commercial and office space, a public boardwalk and boat docking facilities. The project is seen as crucial for revitalizing a part of southwest Rochester and is in the City s plan to develop one of its major waterways.

Brooks Landing: The Beginning

A Celebration with Information

What: Brooks Landing Information and Celebration
When: January 29 2007, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Where: St. Monica Gymnasium, 841 Genesee Street

Brooks Landing is finally underway after more than 20 years of hard work.
Come and hear updates on all elements of the project.
Following the updates, join us in celebrating the start of construction.
Agenda

♦ Waterfront Development ♦ Office Building

♦ Brooks Landing Hotel ♦ Proposed Student Housing

♦ Urban Brew Coffee Shop ♦ Q & A

♦ Celebration ♦

Sponsored by the Sector 4 Community Development Corporation

Open to all!
Light Refreshments Provided!

Residents in Sector 4 have been working to make Brooks Landing a reality for 20 years. Soon the site will be home to an extended stay hotel, a mixed-use retail and office building, and the Urban Brew Coffee shop.

About Sector 4 CDC: Sector 4 Community Development Corporation is a non-profit dedicated to economic development whose mission is “to build partnerships and collaborations between business, neighborhood and community organizations and provide the tools, talent and techniques to renew, redevelop and rebuild the five commercial corridors in Sector 4.”

Comments:

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2006-06-06 23:01:04 There is now a big pile of dirt next to the old NET office and alon a significant chunk of what used to be Plymouth, but otherwise, there has been no visible progress. —DaveMahon

2006-11-10 21:39:14 They have finally moved on from what seemed one man and a shovel all summer long to two men and a bulldozer lately... —FranChandler

2007-01-11 01:02:32 This is such an important project for the vitality of the 19th and all Rochester! Hurry! —AliceKimball

2007-01-11 09:36:32 By "vitality" I assume you mean "gentrification." —JasonOlshefsky

2007-01-11 20:41:11 Visit the corner of Brooks and Thurston on a Thursday or Friday night and check out the posters on the windows. And the crowd at the bar. I don't think gentrification is an immediate concern. —DaveMahon

2007-06-06 21:21:26 The pilings are finished and actual vertical walls have started to appear. You can see them from Plymouth and from the foot bridge. —DaveMahon

2007-07-09 18:19:58 I cannot wait for this!!

It can be a fine line between "vitality" and "gentrification," but I feel confident that this development will not cross it. There is a genuine desire to preserve and enhance what the neighborhood already offers, in keeping with the unique 19th Ward spirit that I've heard about for years. —ChelseaAllinger

2007-07-12 22:19:21 It seems as if some site work has started just up South Plymouth for the housing project North of the bike/foot bridge. —EricLarsson

2007-07-13 12:57:20 @Eric

You're referring to Riverview Apartments.

Wait, why is the picture of Riverview Apartments and not Brooks Landing? —DaveMahon

2007-08-16 16:46:00 I am really excited about this project as it will certainly help revitalize Rochester. —RocDalton

2007-10-27 15:35:29 As a resident in the Strong neighborhood, I am concerned that the natural scenic beauty of the river is being compromised. The river is a public good, it belongs to all of us, not a hotel or corporation or even the UR. The 19th ward has always been a middle class neighborhood and it is still a good place to live, despite the increase in crime and violence. There have been problems with drugs there for decades - it is nothing new. As you walk or ride a bike along the river path on the UR side, you see only the beautiful river, trees, a restive calming view. Please don't ruin it with ugly condos. I hope these will be set back from the river and the river edge and all areas of Genesee Valley Park will always be accessible to the public. The area in the bend at the foot of Brooks Ave used to be a rapids before the Court St. dam was built. ARe they going to dredge the river to have a marina? —CarolLucky

2007-10-27 18:07:47 I walked home from work on Thursday. At the corner of Brooks & Genesee, a cop in a aquad car pulled over and cautioned that there have been a string of assaults in that area this week.

They're patrolling the neighborhood, but pedestrians should use caution, stay alert, and travel in groups when possible. —DaveMahon

2008-07-30 23:33:18 Staybridge Suites Hotel will be completed in October 2008. Riverview Apartments were completed in August. Boulder Coffee will be completed in October. Boardwalk, boat docks and bike trail will be completed in September 2008. Office/retail complex will be completed in March 2009. Restaurant development will take place in 2009. A community celebration is being planned for November 2008 for the entire development. 25 years in the making, we're almost there. —DanaMiller

2009-02-10 16:43:28 Grand openining celebration was held on November 10, 2008 for Boulder Coffee at Brooks Landing, 88-room Staybridge Suites hotel, boardwalk and boat docks. Office building across the street with new retail spaces is under construction and will be completed in the spring. Restaurant is still in the planning stages. —DanaMiller