Supporters of the downtown business improvement district are abandoning the effort and shifting their focus to supporting other revitalization efforts.
“Currently, we do not have the political will and majority support from the Rochester City Council to successfully establish a business improvement district,” the Rochester Downtown Partnership wrote in an email this afternoon.
City Councilman Willie Lightfoot recently left the party and joined the opposition along with colleagues Mary Lupien, Stanley Martin and Kim Smith. It was not immediately clear who else took part in tipping the balance.
“After hearing more than 1,500 responses to extensive community engagement, one thing is clear: people want more neighborhoods in downtown Rochester,” the email concluded.
The organization will now focus on expanding its existing fundraising efforts to support the revitalization of Center City.
City Council President Miguel Meléndez issued the following statement:
“Today marks the end of our efforts to bring a business improvement district to downtown Rochester. This end also marks a new beginning for the future of our city center.”
“As a board member of the Partnership for Downtown Rochester, I would like to first acknowledge all the community engagement efforts and diverse input provided by the Business Improvement District initiative, and I would like to thank everyone for their valuable input. I would like to thank the team at RDDC for their support. Clearly, downtown residents, small business owners, artists, and members of Rochester's broader community believe strongly in the vitality and promise of a strong downtown.
“That’s why it’s so important now that we come together as a community and decide on a new direction that creates safe jobs, supports strong school systems, and promotes safety on our streets. “It's a direction to engage and collaborate with all the stakeholders that call downtown.” We're calling for ideas, plans, and dreams for a fighting downtown to be brought to the table. We provide opportunities for those in need and create a framework for the heart of Flower City to bloom for everyone. ”
This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.
