ROCHESTER, NY | Midtown Plaza Development | PRO

RocTX · #1 Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 7:02 PM**

It's not a big project by most standards, but it's a pretty big deal for a city that doesn't get much attention on this page. The new PAETEC Tower is slated to be 17 stories.

Midtown Plaza to come down; PAETEC to come downtown

Matthew Daneman
Staff writer

(October 16, 2007) — Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced this afternoon that Midtown Plaza will be the world headquarters for PAETEC Communications and that , when completed, the company will bring its 600 workers downtown as part of his Rebuilding the Upstate Economy City by City plan.

The city will acquire the 10-acre property and the state will spend up to $50 million to demolish the complex and get it "shovel-ready" for the PAETEC move. The new 500,000 square foot building would be able to house 1,000 employees.

Here are additional project details from the same article. The project could include as many as five other buildings:

Midtown Plaza

The City of Rochester, PAETEC Communications and Empire State Development (ESD) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin the process of redeveloping Midtown Plaza into new mixed-use facilities, including a new corporate world headquarters for PAETEC Communications. Located in the commercial center of the City of Rochester, the 10-acre property encompasses a 17-story skyscraper and five other buildings, with approximately 1.5 million square-feet of retail and office space, and a three-level 1,843-space underground parking garage. The buildings on the property are substantially vacant, and the parking garage is underutilized.

Components of the project:
It is anticipated that the existing Midtown Plaza site would be initially divided into two parcels:

Phase I - PAETEC Parcel: PAETEC Communications plans to build a new 500,000 square foot, Class A facility on a portion of the Midtown property. The proposed PAETEC facility will house approximately 1200 employees (including 600 existing PAETEC employees) and become the new location for its corporate headquarters, data and other operations. PAETEC would design, engineer and construct the PAETEC building on a portion of the property.

Phase II: The City and ESD would develop the Phase II Development Parcels to include residential, retail, and commercial uses, which would conform with the PAETEC parcel and surrounding development strategies.

RocTX · #2 Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 7:05 PM**

Oops..I meant for this to go into the highrise construction forum. Does anyone know how to move it?

Haworthia · #3 Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 8:04 PM**

This is awesome! As a former Rochester inhabitant, I'd like to see more development downtown. I'm happy to see more jobs coming Rochester's way too.

Any pretty pictures for us to see?

Oh, and I don't know how to move the thread.

antinimby · #4 Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 8:20 PM**

Either wait until a moderator comes in and sees your request or send a PM to them to get their attention.

Swede · #5 Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 8:46 PM**

Why should this be in the construction forum? I see no reference to anything actually going up yet.

RocTX · #6 Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 9:26 PM**

Looks like it's already been moved. I acidentally posed it in the City Discussions section.

I know this isn't big news in comparison to some of the other major projects going on around the globe, but I think moderate projects that have the potential to reshape a declining downtown in a small- to mid-sized city are just as exciting in many ways.

RocTX · #7 Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 9:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haworthia

This is awesome! As a former Rochester inhabitant, I'd like to see more development downtown. I'm happy to see more jobs coming Rochester's way too.

Any pretty pictures for us to see?

Oh, and I don't know how to move the thread.

I didn't see any pictures, although I'm still searching. It's just a proposal at this point so maybe they haven't released any final plans. As a former Rochesterian myself, I'm excited to see something (anything) happening downtown. The last highrise project I'm aware of was the B&L Headquarters Bldg in 1995.

j korzeniowski · #8 Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 9:55 PM**

very nice. i was born in rochester, ny, and while i haven't been back since i was 8 mos. old, i always take an interest when the city's name is mentioned ...

"rochester?! why rochester?!"
(name that movie ...)

looking forward to some pic's on this.

Rockchester · #9 Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 12:36 AM**

where did you see that the new highrise would be seventeen stories?

This is incredible news for Rochester. Midtown Plaza has been the biggest obstabcle in revitalizing downtown. It will be sad to see it go, but incredibly exciting for a city that needs some excitement right now.

RocTX · #10 Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 12:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockchester

where did you see that the new highrise would be seventeen stories?

This is incredible news for Rochester. Midtown Plaza has been the biggest obstabcle in revitalizing downtown. It will be sad to see it go, but incredibly exciting for a city that needs some excitement right now.

The 17 story quote was from the online Democrat and Chronicle story.

I'll be sad to see Midtown Plaza go too, but that place has been going down hill for a long time. I do have some great memories going downtown to watch the Clock of the Nations and to shop at Sibley's...oh well, this is progress!

Midtown Plaza was considered to be quite innovative in it time. Check out this video I ran across recently on U-Tube!

Rockchester · #11 Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 1:05 AM**

I think the D&C was talking about the existing midtown tower, which I think will be demolished. It is seventeen stories.

An updated Democrat and Chronicle story says that the height of the building isn't determined yet.

"The precise location and height of PAETEC’s building on the eight-acre Midtown parcel has not been determined. "

I hope the tower is significantly taller than seventeen stories. I'd love to see a new tallest building in Rochester. The Xerox tower has been our tallest for decades.

RocTX · #12 Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 1:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockchester

I think the D&C was talking about the existing midtown tower, which I think will be demolished. It is seventeen stories.

An updated Democrat and Chronicle story says that the height of the building isn't determined yet.

"The precise location and height of PAETEC’s building on the eight-acre Midtown parcel has not been determined. "

I hope the tower is significantly taller than seventeen stories. I'd love to see a new tallest building in Rochester. The Xerox tower has been our tallest for decades.

Oh..yeah..that ugly 1960's looking building that connects to the mall...you're probably right. It does say a new 500,000 sq ft facility for PAETEC. I hope they do go vertical!

Weren't they recently kicking around the idea of turning Midtown into some kind of Italian-themed cultural center and shopping district? Whatever happend to that idea?

Rockchester · #13 Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 1:22 AM**

yes, they were thinking about an Italian-themed marketplace. Fortunately though, the investors from Parma, Italy backed out when they realized how much money it would take to refurbish Midtown and get rid of all the asbestos. I don't think that idea would have worked well anyways. This plan is much better.

WHAM wrote

Chesonis is already dreaming of how his new 500,000 square-foot high rise will look.

“We're going anywhere from 12 to 13 floors, maybe shorter, stubby, all the way to 35 stories and thin,” he said.

Man, I hope they go tall and thin.

RocTX · #14 Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 1:36 AM**

If they go 35 stories, that should put it very close to or slightly taller than Xerox.

Mr. Rochester · #15 Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 2:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocTX

If they go 35 stories, that should put it very close to or slightly taller than Xerox.

GO ROCHESTER!!! NOW WERE COMPETING WITH BUFFALO.

jdcamb · #16 Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 12:40 AM**

Hmm. Maybe?

gripja · #17 Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 1:40 AM**

^ OMG what an ugly POS -- lol. IMO Rochester needs another glass tower. I wouldn't get too excited about a tallest being built, But tall and thin would be nice.

Halovet · #18 Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 7:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Rochester

GO ROCHESTER!!! NOW WERE COMPETING WITH BUFFALO.

Not quite, but Im sure ALL of WNY, including Buffalo, wants this building built. Im going to go out on a limb, and say that due to inspiration from Rochester's "best friend city to the east, this tower will indeed be 35 stories, or not much shorter.

Hey nice job on that skyline pic, jdcamb. How inspiring!

By BANKofMANHATTAN

Swede · #19 Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 8:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocTX

I know this isn't big news in comparison to some of the other major projects going on around the globe, but I think moderate projects that have the potential to reshape a declining downtown in a small- to mid-sized city are just as exciting in many ways.

At 17s it would be tall for an office building in my city

and at 35 would beat all of 'em

So worthy of note, it is.

nobody · #20 Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 9:21 AM**

As a graduate of Webster High and former Roc person I am freaking shocked to see anything happen downtown. I was back visiting about a month ago and didn't expect anything like this. Very cool though, I'd like to see Rochester have a legit downtown with stuff to do aside from getting shot after dark.