What does Rochester need? (New York, Buffalo: real estate, broker, homes)

[gt87]

Just curious as to what everyone would like to see come to the Rochester area.

I saw a post in the Buffalo forum where there is a proposal for a $30 million sports/golf complex. Not saying that Rochester needs something like this, but what other large scale project would you like to see in Rochester? Not something like another Chick-Fil-A or Ikea but something BIG like this golf complex.

[UncleBenny]

Two big things. A major league sports team, and some kind of public transport beyond our bus system. Rochester will forever be considered by outsiders as more of a "large town" instead of a medium sized city without those things, as cosmetic as they may seem. Sports teams get your name in the national spotlight on a consistent basis. Don't get me wrong I am a big supporter of our current teams, but I am also not oblivious to the fact that minor league sports matter less and less these days in the eyes of the general population. Also, something like light rail just changes the feel of the city to me. Even a couple lines on some major avenues would be a huge step to me.

Also to be clear: I don't see Rochester ever getting a major league sports team in my lifetime, and more developed public transport will probably be trumped by self driving vehicles sooner than we will see a light rail line constructed down Main Street.

As for the golf thing in Buffalo, it looks pretty cool and given the amount of golfers in the Rochester area, something like that would do incredibly well here.

[gt87]

Originally Posted by UncleBenny

Two big things. A major league sports team, and some kind of public transport beyond our bus system. Rochester will forever be considered by outsiders as more of a "large town" instead of a medium sized city without those things, as cosmetic as they may seem. Sports teams get your name in the national spotlight on a consistent basis. Don't get me wrong I am a big supporter of our current teams, but I am also not oblivious to the fact that minor league sports matter less and less these days in the eyes of the general population. Also, something like light rail just changes the feel of the city to me. Even a couple lines on some major avenues would be a huge step to me.

As for the golf thing in Buffalo, it looks pretty cool and given the amount of golfers in the Rochester area, something like that would do incredibly well here.

I agree with the pro sports team. Buffalo has 2 teams and are not much bigger than Rochester but gets way more national attention due to that simple fact. Unfortunately I don't see Rochester ever getting a pro team. An MLS team was their best shot and we all know how that turned out. Best case for Rochester would be if the Bills decide to put the new stadium half way between Buf and Roc. Unfortunately I can't see that happening either. I enjoy having the Amerks and Red Wings but they are all but nonexistent outside of Rochester.

[JWRocks]

First and foremost in my mind is that we need a real leader and cheerleader for our area. Most of what's going on in Buffalo is the renewed optimism. We're lucky. We never suffered the decline like they did, but I think that makes us complacent.


As far as projects, Rochester is the Flower City. We'll never have a Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge or St Louis Arch. But what we could have, is to make us the most beautiful city in the country by cleaning up and having flowers and gardens everywhere! It just makes sense for us to do it. Make the entire city the monument.


Another idea I have, I call "Little New York" to be located on the acres of Kodak parking lots east of Lake Ave. There are hundreds of small towns across NYS, This would be a living mixed use museum comprised of a reproduction of some of the prized homes and buildings from all of these small towns, so you could literally visit a representative of all over the state.


An, of course we need to bring a ferry back. Use 2 smaller boats this time and only one round trip per day, leaving in the am from both Rochester and Toronto

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by gt87

I agree with the pro sports team. Buffalo has 2 teams and are not much bigger than Rochester but gets way more national attention due to that simple fact. Unfortunately I don't see Rochester ever getting a pro team. An MLS team was their best shot and we all know how that turned out. Best case for Rochester would be if the Bills decide to put the new stadium half way between Buf and Roc. Unfortunately I can't see that happening either. I enjoy having the Amerks and Red Wings but they are all but nonexistent outside of Rochester.

I'd even say that if RIT were a completely Division 1 program, that could be something the community could rally around.

Another thing possibly in the future, would be if/when Lacrosse takes off enough to where having a pro Lacrosse team offers some more exposure, in a sense.

Also, if Parcel 5 is done "right", that could also be a great community gathering place for the city and area. OUR PARCEL 5
https://www.swbr.com/design/parcel-5/

[gt87]

Originally Posted by JWRocks

An, of course we need to bring a ferry back. Use 2 smaller boats this time and only one round trip per day, leaving in the am from both Rochester and Toronto

I would love to see them bring a ferry back but on a smaller scale. I would love to go to Toronto more but with the 3-3.5 hour drive, crossing the boarder, parking, traffic, etc its just not worth it for me. Would love to be able to leave my car here and just enjoy a nice boat ride across the lake and end up right downtown.

[Matt Marcinkiewicz]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Another thing possibly in the future, would be if/when Lacrosse takes off enough to where having a pro Lacrosse team offers some more exposure, in a sense.

You can never say for certain with these things, but I doubt that will ever happen. Lacrosse's popularity was being predicted by some to explode back in the '90s, and that never really happened. Tastes change with each passing generation, but I'd be surprised if lacrosse ever really 'took off'

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Matt Marcinkiewicz

You can never say for certain with these things, but I doubt that will ever happen. Lacrosse's popularity was being predicted by some to explode back in the '90s, and that never really happened. Tastes change with each passing generation, but I'd be surprised if lacrosse ever really 'took off'

I don't know, as it is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and places like Denver and even parts of Texas are areas where the sport has been seeing some growth. So, while it is tough to predict these type of things, its growth is legitimate. In fact, Rochester lost its Major League Lacrosse franchise due it moving to the Dallas area.

Just so people don't think I'm making this up: https://coachad.com/articles/lacross...thers-closing/

For instance, when I was in high school, we didn't have a Lacrosse program. Now, since it started about 15 years ago or so, it has become a regular Sectional contender and many high schools have gotten programs within the past 10-15 years or so.

[leadfoot4]

Rochester evolved around large industrial employers. In the last 20 years, or so, many of those employers such as Kodak, Xerox, General Motors, Bausch & Lomb, General Dynamics, to name a few, have either closed up shop completely, or greatly downsized. With their departures, a tremendous number of blue collar, BUT very good paying jobs, have left the area. Those jobs were the engines that powered the area's economy.


Yes, sports teams, art galleries, and entertainment venues would be nice, but without a population that has a fair amount of disposable income, it's never going to happen. And, I'm also aware that in order to attract potential employers, you also need the social aspects of life. However, that becomes the classic example of what came first, the chicken or the egg.


You also need a city/county government that is willing to do what it takes, in terms of security, in order to attract outsiders. Years ago, I had a friend who owned an auto repair shop on West Broad Street, right near Lyell Ave. He told me about this....The original Delco/later Sykes Datatronics building was sitting there, vacant, across the street from his shop. A commercial real estate broker managed to interest another electronics firm, to come and inspect the property, and potentially set up their business in Rochester.


As many of us know, the Lyell Ave "neighborhood" is a little on the rough side. The potential buyer, however was VERY interested in the building, as it had everything they needed, to manufacture their products, with very little renovation. They were willing to overlook the location, somewhat, if the city was willing to beef up the Police presence in the area around the building. A meeting was held between the broker, the buyer, and then-Mayor, Bill Johnson. The result? Johnson flatly refused to accommodate the buyer, saying that the area is "just fine", and there shouldn't be any need for additional patrols by the RPD.


The buyers simply shook their heads, walked away, and set up shop somewhere in New England, taking their potential jobs and tax dollars somewhere else......and 2-3 years ago, after sitting vacant for 15-20 years, the building was torn down.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by leadfoot4

Rochester evolved around large industrial employers. In the last 20 years, or so, many of those employers such as Kodak, Xerox, General Motors, Bausch & Lomb, General Dynamics, to name a few, have either closed up shop completely, or greatly downsized. With their departures, a tremendous number of blue collar, BUT very good paying jobs, have left the area. Those jobs were the engines that powered the area's economy.


Yes, sports teams, art galleries, and entertainment venues would be nice, but without a population that has a fair amount of disposable income, it's never going to happen. And, I'm also aware that in order to attract potential employers, you also need the social aspects of life. However, that becomes the classic example of what came first, the chicken or the egg.


You also need a city/county government that is willing to do what it takes, in terms of security, in order to attract outsiders. Years ago, I had a friend who owned an auto repair shop on West Broad Street, right near Lyell Ave. He told me about this....The original Delco/later Sykes Datatronics building was sitting there, vacant, across the street from his shop. A commercial real estate broker managed to interest another electronics firm, to come and inspect the property, and potentially set up their business in Rochester.


As many of us know, the Lyell Ave "neighborhood" is a little on the rough side. The potential buyer, however was VERY interested in the building, as it had everything they needed, to manufacture their products, with very little renovation. They were willing to overlook the location, somewhat, if the city was willing to beef up the Police presence in the area around the building. A meeting was held between the broker, the buyer, and then-Mayor, Bill Johnson. The result? Johnson flatly refused to accommodate the buyer, saying that the area is "just fine", and there shouldn't be any need for additional patrols by the RPD.


The buyers simply shook their heads, walked away, and set up shop somewhere in New England, taking their potential jobs and tax dollars somewhere else......and 2-3 years ago, after sitting vacant for 15-20 years, the building was torn down.

Hasn't the local economy just changed from a handful of large employers, to much of the talent from those employers just starting their own smaller companies?

Some relatively recent and interesting economic information about the region: https://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov...akesregion.pdf