City of Rochester
News Release
(Friday, Jan. 18, 2013) – Mayor Thomas S. Richards announced today that the City has issued a Request for Proposals regarding the sale and redevelopment of the former Pulaski Library building, 1151 Hudson Ave.
“For more than 60 years, the Pulaski Library building provided the community with a place to convene, learn, and share information,” said Mayor Richards. “With the right redevelopment plan, it can once again serve as a community anchor. The history and future of our neighborhoods are brought together in structures like the Pulaski Library.”
Constructed in 1931 as a neighborhood branch library, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The library was closed by the City in 1994 due to budget constraints and was subsequently sold to a neighborhood non-profit organization that intended to convert it into a computer training center. That project never materialized and the City reclaimed the building in 2010.
The building has been vacant since the time that the library closed. A report on the building’s condition commissioned by the City determined that the building is structurally sound and restoration is feasible if critical repairs are made within a short time frame. In preparation for marketing the building, the City removed asbestos materials from the interior.
The City is seeking a developer to purchase the building and restore it in a manner that ensures the preservation and subsequent re-use of this historic structure in a manner that complements the surrounding area.
An informational meeting on this RFP will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 23, at the Northeast Neighborhood Service Center, 500 Norton St. The building will be held open for inspection at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 28; and 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30.
Proposals will be accepted until Friday, March 8, at 4:30 p.m. To view the RFP, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/pulaskilibrary.
Interested developers can contact Kathy Sheets, Director of Real Estate, at (585) 428-7449 or by e-mail at sheetsk@cityofrochester.gov.
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News Media: Contact Bret Garwood, Director of Development Services 428-6150 for more information.