News Release - City Releases Final Design Report For Midtown Rising Project

City of Rochester

News Release

(Wednesday, June 29, 2011) – Mayor Thomas S. Richards today released the Final Design Report for the Midtown Redevelopment Project. The Report describes the final design for the Midtown Block including the street grid, development parcels and open space as well as sidewalks, parking, sewer, water and other public improvements.

“I am very happy knowing this critical step is completed,” said Mayor Thomas S. Richards. “We finally have a finalized site layout and a confirmed schedule for construction. The long process of planning for the demolition and construction phases can now be replaced by plans and proposals for companies to come and be part of the Midtown community. This project will reshape the future of the central city.”

The Draft Design Report was released in December of last year and faced a public review process as well as being submitted for review by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and the New York State Department of Transportation. The Final Report, which considered all comments, concerns and suggestions, is available on the City’s website at www.cityofrochester.gov/midtown on the ‘Documents and Data’ page.

The Report includes details about the development of a new Midtown street grid. Five new streets will be constructed as well as a pedestrian corridor. The Report also identifies reconstruction of the existing Elm, Atlas and Euclid Streets.

Also included are plans to rehabilitate or reconstruct the following adjacent streets: Broad Street (Chestnut Street to South Avenue), South Clinton Avenue (Broad Street to Main Street) and Main Street from South Clinton to East Avenue. Broad Street will also be converted from one way traffic flow to two-way traffic flow.

Extensive renovations to the Midtown underground parking garage will include the repair of deteriorated concrete structural members, reconstruction of certain areas of roof slab, improvements to air, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, the construction of a pedestrian tunnel to serve PAETEC headquarters and the modification of the garage’s entrance and exit ramps, including the removal of the exit ramp on Elm Street.

The service tunnel which allowed trucks to access the former Midtown Plaza – and continues to enable truck access to the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, the Hyatt hotel, the Chase tower and several other downtown corporate users – will be reconstructed on the Midtown site to fit the new street grid and maintain its accessibility to other downtown users. The realigned tunnel will provide more efficient traffic flow and will no longer require a traffic signal.

The Final Design Report also provides a construction schedule. The Midtown Redevelopment project will be split into three different phases. The first phase will focus on creating the truck service tunnel and pedestrian tunnel and is set to start in the spring of 2012. The second phase, set to start after July 1, 2012 will include parking garage modifications and rehabilitation as well as street and utility installations. Phase three will include all open space and landscaping work and will begin after July 1, 2013. Construction will be complete in fall 2013.

The Report estimates construction costs to be $33.7 million.

-30-

News Media: For more information, call Ted Capuano at 428-6427.