Midtown was designed by Victor Gruen, the architect responsible for Southdale in Edina, MN, the world's first enclosed mall. Midtown was his attempt to bring the indoor mall model to a downtown so that it could compete with the suburbs and be revitalized. It didn't really work.
The local headline today was how much it would cost to tear Midtown down(20mil) For Cheryl- a different one of those little "spools" opened on the hour to reveal a dancing doll from a different country; at noon they all opened. People would flock to Midtown and stand mesmerized by it! Hokey but cute.
I remember going to a senior ball at Midtown Plaza in the early 1970's. The stores were closed on Saturday nights, so the school (Bishop Kearney HS) rented the entire mall and had a catered dinner. Chuck Mangione provided the music for dancing. Besides dancing and sitting at the table chatting, we could walk by the store window fronts and window shop. It seemed like an extravagant prom. Maybe Rochester should consider renovating it to become a downtown party house for wedding receptions and proms -- maybe that would help revitalize the area.
I also have a plastic model of the clock. In the 1960's you could put a quarter in a machine, and it would create a molded plastic sculpture of the Clock of the Nations. It was still warm when it was dispensed.
If you have an idea of what the city of Rochester should do with miodtown Plaza got to this site and fill out the form suggestions go to Mayor Duffy and City Council!
*sigh* i'm too young to have appreaciated Midtown in it's glory days but i really wish it could become what it once was. it's really very beautiful, in a kitschy sort of way.
PAETEC to move its HQ downtown, bringing along hundreds of jobs
Matthew Daneman, Mary Chao and Steve Orr Staff writers
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(October 17, 2007) — Midtown Plaza — six buildings in the heart of Rochester marked by empty storefronts and vacant offices — will be demolished to make way for a new headquarters for the growing telecommunications company PAETEC.
PAETEC Holding Corp. founder and Chief Executive Arunas Chesonis, who during the summer initiated the idea of moving his company from Perinton to downtown, said he hopes to have the new building up and occupied in as little as four years.
PAETEC has about 600 workers in a Route 96 office park and has been growing by about 100 people a year. By the time the company moves downtown, it could be bringing 1,000 to 1,200 jobs, Chesonis said.
"This to me is the beginning of a renaissance downtown," Mayor Robert Duffy said during Tuesday's announcement by Gov. Eliot Spitzer at Midtown Plaza. "To me, it's Christmas in October."
PAETEC's building would occupy part of the Midtown property, with the possibility for residential, retail and additional office development, officials said.
Clearing and rebuilding the 8.6-acre site, where generations of Rochesterians came to work, shop and ride the holiday monorail before Midtown fell on hard times, won't come cheaply.
First, the city will spend an as-yet undetermined amount to buy the property from Blackacre Bridge Capital LLC, a New York City real estate firm.
Next, the state will spend roughly $50 million to demolish the six buildings, including the 18-story Midtown Tower, that make up the complex. The underground parking garage will remain.
Then, PAETEC will spend anywhere from $40 million to $100 million to build its headquarters, a 500,000-square-foot building that will rise from 12 to 30 stories, joining the nearby Chase, Xerox and Bausch & Lomb towers on the city skyline.
Chesonis said the company expects to receive government assistance on the project.
Hello everyone! I am currently an intern at Rochester's television and radio station WXXI. The station is planning to shoot a documentary on Midtown Plaza, and we are looking for anyone who may have memories or memorabilia of the plaza from its early years. I've noticed that many of you have fond memories of the plaza and could possibly have items such as photographs or other objects with special meaning to you which could be useful in the production of this documentary. If you are interested in contributing to this production, or looking for more information on how you can help, please send me an email at fpuello33@yahoo.com. Thank you.
I would love to see a close-up of that clock -- it looks like it's surrounded by giant spools of thread.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, Jason. And, Cheryl, close-ups are on the way! :)
ReplyDeleteMidtown was designed by Victor Gruen, the architect responsible for Southdale in Edina, MN, the world's first enclosed mall. Midtown was his attempt to bring the indoor mall model to a downtown so that it could compete with the suburbs and be revitalized. It didn't really work.
ReplyDeleteOr here (better pic of the clock, too):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.monorails.org/tMspages/Roch.html
The local headline today was how much it would cost to tear Midtown down(20mil) For Cheryl- a different one of those little "spools" opened on the hour to reveal a dancing doll from a different country; at noon they all opened. People would flock to Midtown and stand mesmerized by it! Hokey but cute.
ReplyDeleteI remember going to a senior ball at Midtown Plaza in the early 1970's. The stores were closed on Saturday nights, so the school (Bishop Kearney HS) rented the entire mall and had a catered dinner. Chuck Mangione provided the music for dancing. Besides dancing and sitting at the table chatting, we could walk by the store window fronts and window shop. It seemed like an extravagant prom. Maybe Rochester should consider renovating it to become a downtown party house for wedding receptions and proms -- maybe that would help revitalize the area.
ReplyDeleteI also have a plastic model of the clock. In the 1960's you could put a quarter in a machine, and it would create a molded plastic sculpture of the Clock of the Nations. It was still warm when it was dispensed.
If you have an idea of what the city of Rochester should do with miodtown Plaza got to this site and fill out the form suggestions go to Mayor Duffy and City Council!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ci.rochester.ny.us/Mayor/midtown_input.cfm
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*sigh* i'm too young to have appreaciated Midtown in it's glory days but i really wish it could become what it once was. it's really very beautiful, in a kitschy sort of way.
ReplyDeletePAETEC to move its HQ downtown, bringing along hundreds of jobs
ReplyDeleteMatthew Daneman, Mary Chao and Steve Orr
Staff writers
Post Comment
(October 17, 2007) — Midtown Plaza — six buildings in the heart of Rochester marked by empty storefronts and vacant offices — will be demolished to make way for a new headquarters for the growing telecommunications company PAETEC.
PAETEC Holding Corp. founder and Chief Executive Arunas Chesonis, who during the summer initiated the idea of moving his company from Perinton to downtown, said he hopes to have the new building up and occupied in as little as four years.
PAETEC has about 600 workers in a Route 96 office park and has been growing by about 100 people a year. By the time the company moves downtown, it could be bringing 1,000 to 1,200 jobs, Chesonis said.
"This to me is the beginning of a renaissance downtown," Mayor Robert Duffy said during Tuesday's announcement by Gov. Eliot Spitzer at Midtown Plaza. "To me, it's Christmas in October."
PAETEC's building would occupy part of the Midtown property, with the possibility for residential, retail and additional office development, officials said.
Clearing and rebuilding the 8.6-acre site, where generations of Rochesterians came to work, shop and ride the holiday monorail before Midtown fell on hard times, won't come cheaply.
First, the city will spend an as-yet undetermined amount to buy the property from Blackacre Bridge Capital LLC, a New York City real estate firm.
Next, the state will spend roughly $50 million to demolish the six buildings, including the 18-story Midtown Tower, that make up the complex. The underground parking garage will remain.
Then, PAETEC will spend anywhere from $40 million to $100 million to build its headquarters, a 500,000-square-foot building that will rise from 12 to 30 stories, joining the nearby Chase, Xerox and Bausch & Lomb towers on the city skyline.
Chesonis said the company expects to receive government assistance on the project.
Hello everyone! I am currently an intern at Rochester's television and radio station WXXI. The station is planning to shoot a documentary on Midtown Plaza, and we are looking for anyone who may have memories or memorabilia of the plaza from its early years. I've noticed that many of you have fond memories of the plaza and could possibly have items such as photographs or other objects with special meaning to you which could be useful in the production of this documentary. If you are interested in contributing to this production, or looking for more information on how you can help, please send me an email at fpuello33@yahoo.com. Thank you.
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I would adulation to see a close-up of that alarm -- it looks like it's amidst by behemothic spools of thread.Real estate for sale ads
ReplyDelete