(Rochester, N.Y.) – The escalator is all that remains of the Atrium at Midtown Plaza. The fountain, Clock of Nations, and storefronts have been removed.
Construction foreman Keith Kellogg has fond memories of the shopping mall he’s now tearing down.
“That was something, tearing out the fountain. I can remember throwing pennies in it, making wishes,” he said.
Demolition of Midtown Plaza begins August 1. It won’t be imploded; rather, it will come down piece by piece. The Forman Building will be the first to be demolished. The skyways and most of the Seneca Building will be next.
The steel skeletons of some of the structures may stay up, in case developers want to use them. City Corporation Counsel Tom Richards vows that if no developers express interest, the skeletons will be torn down. He said there will be no Hyatt-like situation, when the half-finished hotel scarred the downtown skyline for years.
Midtown Tower will be the only building on the 8-acre block that won’t be substantially demolished. It’s slated to be high-end condominiums.
The state is paying $55 million for the demolition, which will make way for future development.
When it’s all over, downtown Rochester will be forever changed.
“What you will see now is the true remaking of downtown. You will see a new downtown when this project is finished and the demolition will be a good example of that,” said Richards. “When (the public) starts seeing these buildings come down, and they start clearing this whole area, they'll get a sense that downtown is going to be very different than it was in the past,” said Richards
Demolition will take much of next year to finish. The site PAETEC Communications needs for its headquarters should be clear by next spring. There will be minimal lane closures, and lots of dust, heavy equipment, and cranes.
A web camera will be set up at the Sibley Building, so the public can monitor the progress. The web cam will be available at
MidtownRochesterRising.com.
Kellogg feels nostalgic, but like most of the construction workers, he’s happy to be back to work after a period of unemployment. He also believes in the project.
“I can remember when downtown had so many people. The sidewalks were full from the building right to the curb. It was great back then. The city was really thriving,” he said. “We hope that this brings a lot of that back.”
