City of Rochester
News Release
(Wednesday, April 6, 2022) – Mayor Malik D. Evans announced today that work has begun on the High Falls Terrace Park and the Brewery Line Trail transformation project, a component of the ROC the Riverway waterfront revitalization program.
“The new and improved High Falls Terrace Park and Brewery Line Trail will bring much needed investment to one of the most underserved areas of our city and further leverage the incredible value of the Genesee River,” said Mayor Evans. “I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul and Empire State Development for supporting this project and bringing hope and opportunity to our neighborhoods. The continued transformation of our city is helping us create a safe, equitable and prosperous Rochester.”
The project will bring beauty, vibrancy and economic opportunity to an area of the city that has sustained decades of disinvestment as a result of racial segregation. The park and trail will be transformed to improve the scenic and functional harmony with the Genesee River gorge and the High Falls; create a vibrant riverfront destination; and provide an attractive eastern gateway to the Genesee Riverway Trail and other Roc the Riverway destinations – including the planned High Falls State Park.
Upgrades to the park include gateway improvements, walkways, landscaping, indigenous plantings, park furnishings, lighting and event space. The trail along the gorge from the Pont de Rennes to the High Falls Overlook will be resurfaced and upgraded; green infrastructure and native plantings will be installed to manage storm water and limit the erosion and deterioration of the gorge wall and edge. An existing abandoned railway bed will be removed to formally connect the trail to the park with complementary, usable greenspace; and invasive plants that block views of the falls will be cleared.
The $1.6 million project was funded by the City, the Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative, which is supporting the city’s transformative ROC the Riverway plan, the New York State Department of Transportation; the New York State Dormitory Authority and RG&E. The project is scheduled to be complete in late summer.
For more information, contact Communications Director Barbara Pierce at Barbara.Pierce@CityofRochester.Gov.