(Rochester, N.Y.) – The chairman of the Rochester Broadway Theatre League was surprised that the governor-elect doesn’t know about the Midtown project. But he’s more concerned with statements sent out by City Hall in response to media questions about the incident.
Andrew Cuomo, when asked by 13WHAM News on Tuesday, said he wasn’t familiar with Midtown Plaza or a performing arts center slated to go on the site.
Midtown Plaza is the biggest redevelopment project in downtown Rochester. Demolition of the former shopping mall is being paid for with $55 million in state funds. It’s a pet project of Mayor Robert Duffy, who will join Cuomo as lieutenant governor in Albany on January 1.
“You would wish that in the course of an election, Bob Duffy and Andrew Cuomo had time to talk about the Midtown project and the performing arts center. That said, if they didn't they didn't,” said RBTL chairman Arnold Rothschild.
But Rothschild was disturbed by comments emailed to reporters by City Communications Director Gary Walker.
"The theater is NOT the Midtown Project or part of the Midtown project. It is a proposed project at the Midtown site."
“It was the mayor of the City of Rochester that solicited RBTL to agree to come to Midtown, so you know to say we're not part of the project, wow, that was real inaccurate,” said Rothschild.
Rothschild said the he has had five meetings with the city since June about the theater, at least two of which Duffy attended. He said RBTL is in “extremely serious talks” with a local entity over naming rights.
“We were well down the road and in fact, we’ve shared that information with people in the city administration they know where we are,” Rothschild said, adding that he hopes Walker’s comments did not damage talks with the potential sponsor.
Rothschild said he still believes the mayor and City Council are committed to a theater. He is concerned the theater might not be a priority of the next administration.
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks said she was surprised at Cuomo’s comments.
“It was disappointing to me. We've really gone out on a limb in Rochester to make that a priority. We've invested already a lot of money in tearing it down. We want to be able to develop into something into the future. Without that state awareness and state support I think it raises a lot of questions about where do we go from here?”
