New plans sought as businesses deal with RenSquare aftermath

What I want to know is why are we not represented in this conference, Mayor Duffy?

Where is Evan Lowenstein, Bill Reed, Roger Brown, Joni Monroe???
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Brian Sharp • and Matthew Daneman • August 8, 2009

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090808/NEWS01/908080324/Ne...

Faded signs on the front of Chaudry Ilyas' East Main Street store announce: "SALE! Everything Must GO! 20 – 50% Off." Inside, the shelves and clothing racks are beginning to empty.

Ilyas received a letter from the transit authority in March, telling him his business was in the footprint of the proposed Renaissance Square project, and he could get financial assistance to help relocate I & S Variety Stores. Though the letter made clear it was not a notice to vacate — that notice would come later, the letter read — it set Ilyas in motion.

He was ready.

His business, over which Renaissance Square had loomed since 2004, had gotten worse since Midtown Plaza closed last summer. After the letter, he stopped ordering merchandise. He put what he had on sale. As his inventory declined, so did the number of customers stopping in.

"I'm waiting for the next letter," Ilyas said.

But there will be no letter. No help. When the Renaissance Square proposal died earlier this week, Ilyas' way out died with it — at least until a new plan develops. Now he expects to close in a few weeks.

"There is no money, brother," said the 50-year-old father of three children ages 3½ to 17. "I can't control my home, my rent, nothing. Everything is messed up."

Where Ilyas sees an ending in Renaissance Square's demise, however, others see a beginning.

The $230 million project, once proposed for East Main Street between St. Paul Street and North Clinton Avenue, would have included a new home for Monroe Community College's downtown campus, an off-street bus terminal and a performing arts theater.

Now developers and city officials are suggesting everything from an aquarium to housing, shops to high-end offices, or that law school St. John Fisher College has talked about.

"Maybe this is an opportunity to do something else that might otherwise not have been considered," said Brian McKinnon, chief operating officer for Christa Development Corp.

Christa is among the developers and experts Mayor Robert Duffy has invited to an Aug. 17 roundtable on the Renaissance Square block and the area. Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks already has accepted an invitation to attend.

"We both want what's best," Duffy said Friday after a "very positive" first meeting with Brooks since the two traded barbs over the project's collapse. "We are going to get things back on track."

Before the roundtable, and as soon as next week, senior city staff will sit down with developer Neil Bauman, who owns one of the Main and Clinton corner parcels and already has a plan to build housing and retail.

Christa, meanwhile, has proposed redeveloping Midtown Tower for housing and owns the former Citizens Bank building on the opposite Main and Clinton corner from the Renaissance Square site — a deal Christa would have made regardless of Renaissance Square, McKinnon said, but was more comfortable with when the project appeared certain.

The PAETEC question

That sentiment is echoed by other developers already active nearby. Since Renaissance Square was announced in 2004, seven projects totaling $215 million in investment have sprung up in the immediate vicinity. None is bigger than the redevelopment of Midtown and construction of PAETEC Holding Corp.'s new world headquarters. That investment is put at $155 million.

The demise of Renaissance Square does not directly affect PAETEC's plans, said company CEO Arunas Chesonis.

Chesonis said he had discussions this week with city Corporation Counsel Thomas Richards regarding the package of incentives the city and state are putting together for PAETEC.

"We don't want a handout," Chesonis said. "We're just looking at our cost structure to make sure it's cost neutral for us to go downtown. That was our original handshake" when the headquarters move was announced in 2007.

Assuming that incentive package comes together, he said, PAETEC plans to start construction almost immediately after Midtown is demolished.

PAETEC will make the final decisions on its headquarters once that package is finalized, he said. For now, PAETEC is planning to construct an eight-story building on part of the Midtown complex footprint.

"There are no issues other than the funding," he said.

PAETEC has struggled with losses in recent quarters, while its stock — at roughly $3 a share — is about half of what it was a year ago. But those business factors don't affect PAETEC's plans to move downtown, Chesonis said, as the company already spends $4 million annually on leasing property in the Rochester area and plans to shift those payments toward a mortgage on its own building.

Starting anew

Elsewhere, developer Taib Elkettani plans a $6 million-plus overhaul of the Cox Building at St. Paul and Mortimer streets, planning 74 loft apartments and underground parking. MCC and the theater was a plus and "what we were counting for," he said, but added he is relieved the bus station is not, at least for now, going to be built alongside his building.

"We are still going on with our plans," he said, hoping to get under way in October after having been stalled by the poor economy and banks being unwilling to lend.

As for the Renaissance Square site, the buses should go north to Andrews Street and the development, "should not be housing. On Main Street it should be more of a center for everyone to come to downtown."

Bill Pritchard, vice president of City Council, thinks the opposite; that the goal should be a deli, bookstore, barbershop, "the kinds of shops ... that ... have a steady flow of traffic."

That would coincide with City Council member Elaine Spaull's suggestion of a small campus town for MCC, like the one being planned for the University of Rochester and recently developed near Rochester Institute of Technology. MCC has said it still plans to build a new downtown campus.

Past plans for the area will be made available to those invited to the Aug. 17 roundtable.

"I don't think we need to start all over again," Pritchard said.

But for some, like Ilyas, it likely will come to that.

"Now the deal is done," he said. "Who's suffering? We are."

BDSHARP@DemocratandChronicle.com

In Your Voice| Read reactions to this story
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mistermanny wrote:

Why don't we just make downtown a new suburb? Tear down midtown plaza and make it a big (free)parking lot. Build a walgreen's and a starbucks, maybe a target and other cookie-cutter stores and people will come. Strong Hospital should take over some of the parking garages for employee parking and shuttle them to their main entrance. Expand MCC and build an area like RIT just built on Jefferson Road--dorms and student living areas. Downtown as a business center is never going to work again.
8/8/2009 12:29:19 PM Why don't we just make downtown a new suburb? Tear down midtown plaza and make it a big (free)parking lot. Build a walgreen's and a starbucks, maybe a target and other cookie-cutter stores and people will come. Strong Hospital should take over some of the parking garages for employee parking and shuttle them to their main entrance. Expand MCC and build an area like RIT just built on Jefferson Road--dorms and student living areas. Downtown as a business center is never going to work again. mistermanny
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ken16310 wrote:

Replying to quadalupa:

Give it up. Successive administrations did everything they could to destroy downtown and now they think some miracle plan can re-build the former downtown that evolved naturally and not thru government legerdemain. Downtown is a typical example of what government can destroy, but not re-build.

Governments should back off from urban planning business. This is the only realistic option to revitalize downtown. They are the ones which have been destroying downtown. They are not a solution buy they are a part of problems. Only private sector can make vital downtown. Even though governments just make a huge mistake with RenSquare, creating a huge empty-block in downtown for a decade, but they never think that they might have been creating problems rather than doing any benefits for community. How amazing are they! Next project should be dead is Midtown Peatec Project, which creating another empty block in downtown. People wake up!

8/8/2009 11:40:19 AM Replying to quadalupa:Give it up. Successive administrations did everything they could to destroy downtown and now they think some miracle plan can re-build the former downtown that evolved naturally and not thru government legerdemain. Downtown is a typical example of what government can destroy, but not re-build.Governments should back off from urban planning business. This is the only realistic option to revitalize downtown. They are the ones which have been destroying downtown. They are not a solution buy they are a part of problems. Only private sector can make vital downtown. Even though governments just make a huge mistake with RenSquare, creating a huge empty-block in downtown for a decade, but they never think that they might have been creating problems rather than doing any benefits for community. How amazing are they! Next project should be dead is Midtown Peatec Project, which creating another empty block in downtown. People wake up! ken16310
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rochester66 wrote:

Meetings wit Christa and Mark IV will only get minimal benefits since they are geared heavilty towards residential development. ...especially where the public sector kicks in substantial financial support.

The development of a vibrant regional downtown does NOT need additional housing units. Developers are promoting housing because its the easiest sector to make money on....again..when local/state government subsidies them. Its like risk free money to them! They benefit...but downtown doesn't.

Housing for downtown has been a super hyped initiative that looks like progress...seeing new buildings...but the economic benefit is extremely minimal. Remember housing in our region is just shuffling people from one part of the city/county to another...there is no "net" economic bnefit! It just a waset of public dollars!
8/8/2009 11:20:05 AM Meetings wit Christa and Mark IV will only get minimal benefits since they are geared heavilty towards residential development. ...especially where the public sector kicks in substantial financial support. The development of a vibrant regional downtown does NOT need additional housing units. Developers are promoting housing because its the easiest sector to make money on....again..when local/state government subsidies them. Its like risk free money to them! They benefit...but downtown doesn't. Housing for downtown has been a super hyped initiative that looks like progress...seeing new buildings...but the economic benefit is extremely minimal. Remember housing in our region is just shuffling people from one part of the city/county to another...there is no "net" economic bnefit! It just a waset of public dollars! rochester66
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HunteSThompson wrote:

Help Harry Restore Rochester

New video...Harry for City Council

http://harry2009.com/node/193

8/8/2009 11:07:47 AM Help Harry Restore RochesterNew video...Harry for City Councilhttp://harry2009.com/node/193 HunteSThompson
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HunteSThompson wrote:

As Doug Midkiff said:

"For whatever its worth, I support the ideas expressed by Harry Davis in his comment, especially the recommendation that Mayor Duffy use local professionals for making downtown bloom. In a separate comment, I have urged the Mayor to use the expertise of Roger Brown, Joni Monroe, and Evan Lowenstein, whose charette of the St Paul Boulevard is an eye-opener. These lovers of the city have brought speakers and others to the city with a host of ideas. There is no need to go outside for talent. As I have said before, I believe the true renaissance for downtown has begun. We need to keep at it."

Harry Davis Letter to Mayor Duffy, May 15, 2009; letter to invite green consultant to Rochester to fix ren square

http://harry2009.com/node/133