City of Rochester
News Release
(Friday, July 17, 2020) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren announced today that the City is seeking a qualified developer to serve as a “master developer” to help attract private investment to the long-awaited revitalization of the historic Bull’s Head neighborhood.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce that we are ready to kick off the renaissance of Bull’s Head by attracting a new wave of private investment to this neighborhood,” said Mayor Warren. “The Bull’s Head neighborhood has a rich history and rich potential, so I am looking forward to working with a developer with the context and the vision to help us bring new life to this important western gateway. Bull’s Head will play a pivotal role in our efforts to make belief real for everybody by creating more jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities across the city.”
The City today issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking a developer interested in obtaining exclusive development rights for approximately 12 acres of property the City is in the final stages of acquiring and improving through environmental remediation.
The Bull’s Head neighborhood is located on the western part of the city surrounding the intersection of West Main Street, West Avenue and Genesee Street. In the 1860s, the area hosted a cattle market and a tavern with a bull’s head over its front door. The Bull’s Head neighborhood of today struggles with the effects of more than 50 years of institutional racism, resulting in a high concentration of poverty, disinvestment and environmental contamination.
The Bull’s Head Revitalization Project was launched in 2009, but was largely dormant until Mayor Warren’s administration dedicated $10.6 million in the City’s Capital Improvement Budget for land acquisition and environmental remediation. The Revitalization Project has included significant community involvement and the successful developer will be expected to continue working with the community as projects move forward.
The RFQ process seeks to select a developer to partner with the City to bring new investment to a part of the city that has the potential to follow the example of the Inner Loop East Development site, which became one of the city’s most sought after real estate markets following a relatively modest pubic investment.
The City has completed the nomination process to designate the entire site as a New York State Brownfield Opportunity Area, which will help to secure additional public sector funding. A re-design of the Bull’s Head neighborhood’s streetscape is also under development and it is anticipated that a master developer, in consultation with neighborhood stakeholders, will help advance those designs in a manner to help make the neighborhood more attractive to private investors.
RFQ submissions are due at 4 p.m., Monday, Sept. 28.
To view the RFQ and submission guidelines, or to learn more about the Bull’s Head revitalization program, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/bullsheadrfq2020/.
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