(Rochester, N.Y.) – A suburban architecture and engineering firm was prepared to move into the city of Rochester, until its workers balked.
That’s according to letters obtained by 13WHAM News through the Freedom of Information Law.
Mayor Robert Duffy wrote a letter to Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. on May 27 expressing dismay that "elements within the firm are not favoring a City of Rochester location."
The mayor said the firm, located on Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Road, polled its workers and they did not want to move to the city.
Duffy wrote, "While I must respect the sentiments revealed by your internal employee survey, I must also conclude that these perceptions are borne of a lack of knowledge over the realities of the City as a workplace."
The mayor reminded the firm that it has received $18.1 million in city and City School District contracts in the last 10 years, $5.3 million since he took office.
The mayor told 13WHAM News Tuesday, "When employees of that company who are paying mortgages, who are putting food on the table, sending their kids to college and buying homes and swimming pools with money being generated from city tax money, say, 'I will take that money but no we don't want to have our office there, we don't want to be there,' Well, I'll respect that decision, but I may in fact start looking for companies that do want to be here."
Stantec has about 150 local workers. It’s not clear if the firm would expand in the new location. The city released the letters after 4 p.m., and the company’s switchboard was closed for the day when 13WHAM News called.
The letters did not indicate where Stantec would locate in the city.
Apparently, the letter worked.
In a letter to Stantec dated June 26, the mayor wrote, "It is very heartening to know that you have not foreclosed upon the city as a location for your offices."
