News Release - Statement by Mayor Duffy Thanking Senators Schumer, Gillibrand for Midtown Rising Transportation Funding

City of Rochester

News Release

(Friday, July 31, 2009) - On behalf of the citizens of the Rochester community, I would like to thank U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand for their support of the Midtown Rising project. Sen. Schumer obtained $1.4 million and Sen. Gillibrand secured $350,000 in HUD funding in the FY 2010 Transportation, HUD appropriations bill.

It is my belief that Midtown Rising is the key to Downtown’s revitalization and this money will go a long way to ensure its success. The money will be used for transportation infrastructure improvements related to the Midtown project. The funds will help offset the construction of a new street grid, which will begin to be designed this fall. The street grid design will be paid for using the $950,000 secured by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter in the 2009 Omnibus bill and we plan to start construction when demolition at the site is completed in late 2011.

Although this funding will not be finalized until the fall, I am encouraged because our inclusion in this bill indicates that our leaders in Washington consider Midtown to be a tangible project that is demonstrating real progress.

-30-

News Media: For more information, contact the Communications Bureau at 428-7135.