The Blue
Cross Arena at the War Memorial was originally constructed in the 1950’s and
there was a major renovation and expansion in the mid 1990’s. It is currently home
to the Rochester Americans AHL hockey team, the Rochester Knighthawks NLL lacrosse
team as well as hosting many special events, shows and concerts throughout the
year.
This project
is part of the broader ROC the Riverway initiative which will consolidate more
than two dozen transformative projects along the Genesee River under a single
concept to achieve synergy and leverage the value of Rochester’s riverfront.
Revitalizing the Genesee River corridor will help fuel our local economy. RTR
will serve as a major asset in attracting new jobs and solidifying our identity
as a vibrant waterfront community.
Additional
information about the ROC the Riverway initiative, and upcoming Blue Cross
Arena riverfront expansion initiative at the can be found at https://www.cityofrochester.gov/ROCtheriverway/
This project
is funded by grants from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and
by the City of Rochester.
Blue Cross Arena Upgrades - Phase 1: Exchange Blvd Addition
About
the Project:
This project, completed in Summer 2021, consisted of a combination of upgrades to enhance the patron experience at the
arena as well as improvements needed for operational and maintenance reasons.
The work consisted of:
- Audio/Visual System Upgrades – Including arena bowl
loudspeaker system replacement, distributed speaker upgrades, audio &
video controls and infrastructure upgrades.
- Public Restroom Upgrades – Including lavatory
partition replacements, faucet & flush valve replacements, finish
upgrades and general repairs.
- Exchange Boulevard Addition – Addition on Exchange Blvd side of Arena facilitated a new locker
room suite in what was operations office space. The new locker room serves the home lacrosse team and
visiting hockey teams and also functions as additional dressing room
space for large show productions. The relocated offices are housed in
the new addition along Exchange Boulevard. The second floor of the addition expanded the existing concourse level concessions area.
Blue Cross Arena Upgrades – Phase 2: Riverside Addition
Consistent with the ROC the Riverway Vision Plan, the next phase of upgrades to the Blue Cross Arena will involve an addition on the river side of the arena to create a first floor full service bar and restaurant, expanded concessions area on the second floor, and a redesigned War Memorial Terrace public space along the river. Design of this phase began in the Spring of 2020.
Questions?
If you have
questions or comments concerning the project, please contact the City’s project
manager, Chris McManus in the City’s Bureau of Architecture and Engineering at
(585)-428-6846 or by email.