Rochester

[Tiller]

Consortium!!

[mattaudio]

If this is real, and the people I know in Rochester doubt it is, it wouldn't fly legally without a city franchise. An operator can't "pick and choose routes" according to a Rochester CM.

[acs]

What is going on in Rochester . Seriously there must be some Itasca group level consortium's at work in that city. In any case, if any of these companies pull it off and build these projects then the public has everything to gain and nothing to lose. I say get out of the way and let them go for it. It's not like these aren't projects that the public sector was planning to do anyways (streetcar and zip rail).

[mulad]

This feels like a tourist "trolley" that's just trying to grab a little extra attention. Strange that there isn't even a business filing. Might just be a scam to get you to install an app.

[mattaudio]

I thought this may have been the case. Architect Adam Ferrari created Zumbro Transit last week:
http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... 599c6.html

[acs]

Hats off to this guy for getting the ball rolling. Better for citizens to take action to show they want something than to wait and wait until government gets around to telling people what they want.

[matthew5080]

News update on Rochester's Broadway at Center development.
http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... f6c69.html

I check with Titan Development & Investments and Gus Chafoulias' team from time to time, most recently in December, to take the pulse of this project, which was approved by the City Council in May. Frankly, I've been assured there's a pulse, but the patient refuses to get up and run laps around the property at East Center Street and South Broadway.

I've heard from a little birdie that financial paperwork for the 23-story mixed-use project was to be signed this week, possibly even today, but my editor checked Friday with Sheila Thoma, the marketing director for Titan, and was told by email, "Nothing major to share yet. Closing date hasn't been determined yet."

I honestly feel like this tower is never going to take off... luckily there's plenty of development in other parts of downtown.



More talk and ideas for Rochester's Chateau theater.
http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... ec8cc.html

The re-purposing of the theater for public use is still in the beginning stages.

The newly formed Cheateau Theatre Reuse Task Force met Tuesday to discuss the next steps, agreeing the historic building should be put to "multipurpose use."

Have any of you ever been inside the theater? I lived in Rochester for several years during high school and the theater, at the time a Barnes and Noble, was one of my favorite places within the city. The Chateau has a castle and fantasy theme to it with large sets for the background, very fun cool concept for a Barnes and Noble. It would be a shame for them to dismantle those sets...

[bubzki2]

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... 4dc5f.html

"Not everybody wants to be connected. Not everybody wants sidewalks," he said.

[matthew5080]

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... 4dc5f.html

"Not everybody wants to be connected. Not everybody wants sidewalks," he said.

Well the majority of my neighborhood in Eden Prairie doesn't have sidewalks and we get by just fine

[grant1simons2]

Except when it's night and people still need to walk their dogs and the streets are dark and people are texting and driving.

Yes it happens a lot.

But this is Rochester so let's stick to Rochester stuff okay?

[matthew5080]

Except when it's night and people still need to walk their dogs and the streets are dark and people are texting and driving.

Yes it happens a lot.

But this is Rochester so let's stick to Rochester stuff okay?

yeah, I'll remember that the next time I poke fun at a place I used to live and where some of my family still resides. Thank you

Anyway, there's been some proposals for the Rochester Armory building. Some interested groups include the Children's Museum and The Rochester Arts and Cultural Collaborative.

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... dede0.html

[matthew5080]

Apparently there's going to be an open house this Thursday taking place within the historic Conley-Maass Building regarding its renovation and the Discovery Square portion of the Destination Medical Center plan. Hopefully this brings about some decent information for what they have planned

http://www.postbulletin.com/business/co ... 470f4.html

The Square is designed to be playful and artful, similar to the Google Commons in order to, quite simply, attract the best and the brightest, the most creative minds in the world," according to the DMC plan

[matthew5080]

A recent post from Rochester's PostBulletin claims that demolition might start soon for the 23 story Broadway At Center Tower in downtown Rochester! It's about time too, as the building was announced ages ago.

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... d7b30.html

For the record, contractors were at work Tuesday near the CJ's Midtown Lounge building and two others that will be torn down at some point to make room for the proposed $140 million Broadway at Center project. The workers told me they were disconnecting gas lines at either end of the property, so demolition day may be near, almost a year after the project was approved by the Rochester City Council.

[bubzki2]

I am NOT holding my breath, but I sure hope they get shovels in the ground soon.

[Mikey]

I can't wait for the downtown core to expand all the way to the river on the east, Soldiers Field on the south, and Civic Center Dr on the north

[matthew5080]

Hopefully that open house today brings forth some new information on what's going to be happening downtown.

[matthew5080]

It sounds like the Rochester Public Library is looking, as it has been for years, to expand! The plans call for two additional floors to the existing building at a cost of $55 million.

http://www.themedcitybeat.com/news-blog ... ic-library

Betcher will present the library’s expansion plans at the Rochester City Council meeting on March 14 and encourages the public to attend.

[Mikey]

Good to hear. I didn't know if they were smart enough to design the building to handle future floors, considering how much they did cut just to get the place built. The location is good, and a roof deck overlooking the river across the street should be nice

[mattaudio]

Other DMC plans I've seen showed the library literally moving and something else being developed in its place. Glad to see those plans were toned down, and the library is going to stay.

[matthew5080]

Well I remember seeing the initial renderings for DMC and the library was nowhere to be seen, but I guess that idea is getting cut?
The library was built to have handle at least one more floor, so I'm assuming adding another floor on top of that wouldn't be too drastic of a move?
I would be surprised if the council didn't vote for the expansion. The library website has a substantial amount of statistics that show the space is needed and why other forms of growth (branch locations, moving within the downtown frame) wouldn't work. I guess the question I currently have is if this will be get any of the money allocated for the DMC project or if it won't, such as the civic center expansion (which I believe should have).