(Rochester, N.Y.) – Soon after the city pitched a performing arts center at Midtown Plaza to the Rochester Broadway Theatre League, the group’s chairman told the mayor he needs to make another pitch – to the county executive.
“We're going to need the city and the county to work in lockstep if we were to choose Midtown,” said Arnold Rothschild.
“I don't think a new performing arts center could be built unless the city and the county are aligned,” said Mayor Robert Duffy, who has said all along that the city will not pursue a theater unless it has a coalition of local leaders and public support.
RBTL considers County Executive Maggie Brooks' support crucial because Midtown is a more expensive place to build. Brooks’ help would be needed in Albany if state funding is required. Another issue requiring Brooks’ support is use of county hotel/motel tax revenue to subsidize RBTL. A feasibility study is in the works, but Rothschild said hotel/motel tax revenue will likely be needed.
Duffy and Brooks met recently to discuss a theater at Midtown.
“There were no promises, no pledges. We're talking. We all want what's best,” said Duffy.
“We talked about the pros and cons of a Midtown site. We talked about the benefit of having a performing arts center downtown,” Brooks said. “Clearly it would add to the viability of our center city.”
But Brooks said she’s still haunted by the mayor’s refusal to support her idea of a theater at Main and Clinton. That theater proposal was part of the failed Renaissance Square project.
“I'm concerned about the community commitment to this,” she said. “I don't want to get back into a position where this is Maggie Brooks' project and I'm standing out there all by myself trying to raise money, trying to get support for this. I've been there and I've done that and it didn't work. So now it has to be a team effort and I need to see some visual assurance that the team is in place.”
“I want Maggie's support. I want to do this in a way that we show together that we're working together on development and changes in our city,” Duffy said.
“I do believe both the mayor and the county executive have the long term interests of the community at heart,” said Rothschild.
Duffy and Brooks plan to meet very soon to continue the discussion.
RBTL has not said when it could make a decision. The other sites in the running are the former Medley Centre in Irondequoit and Clinton Crossings in Brighton.
