News Release - City Pays Tribute to Contributions of Gary Stern in the Neighborhood of the Arts

City of Rochester

News Release

City Pays Tribute to Contributions of Gary Stern in the Neighborhood of the Arts

(Friday, June 7, 2019) – Dana Miller, the City’s Director of Business and Housing Development, today recognized the memorialization of College Avenue as “Gary Stern Way,” in honor of the visionary developer of Village Gate in the Neighborhood of the Arts. He was joined by City Councilmember Elaine Spaull, along with family and friends of Gary Stern, who passed away in 2016.

“I can’t think of anybody in Rochester who is more deserving of the honor of having a street memorialized in his or her name than Gary Stern,” Mayor Lovely A. Warren said. “Gary Stern Way sits in the heart of the Neighborhood of the Arts – and it’s safe to say there would be no Neighborhood of the Arts without his efforts. The vision and persistence of men and women like him have advanced our efforts to create more jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities.”

In the 1980s, when Mr. Stern purchased the vacant factory that would become Village Gate, the area now known as the Neighborhood of the Arts was in a state of decline. Gary Stern’s investment in Village Gate and subsequent investments in the surrounding neighborhood was a major impetus for the Art Walk Project, solidifying the Neighborhood of the Arts brand and prompting nearby museums to invest in their own campuses. The synergy led to growth and investment throughout the neighborhood, making it a highly desirable location for young people to live and work. This revitalization of the Neighborhood of the Arts also played a supporting role in the Inner Loop East Transformation Project.

Today, Village Gate hosts a variety of community assets in shops, restaurants, and affordable housing as well as high-tech businesses that employ Rochester’s growing population of young professionals and graduates of the region’s 19 colleges and universities.

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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135.