Talk of a new performing arts center, of course, has been around for decades. But politics and finances have prevented a project from ever getting off the ground.
Christine Carrie Fien
I'm City's news editor, which means I oversee all aspects of our news-gathering operation. I also sneak in to an occasional City Council meeting and cover Rochester's intriguing and eclectic neighbors. My family has a long legacy here, and I'm proud to continue to represent.
Posted inNews & Opinion
[UPDATED] Garretson resigning from Democratic leadership post
Dave Garretson is stepping down as head of the Monroe County Democratic Committee. In a short statement released just now, Garretson cites concerns regarding health and family for his resignation. He says that he will serve until the end of the month. Garretson, who was elected to lead local Dems just last September, has presided […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Last-minute deal saves arts center study
An eleventh-hour deal yesterday saved Mayor Lovely Warren’s legislation to study a new downtown performing arts center. The fate of the legislation was up in the air until almost the last minute due to confusion over who would fund the study and questions about the study itself. City Council voted 8-1 last night to approve […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Skatepark advocate losing hope
The drive to get a skatepark built in Rochester is probably at its lowest point in the eight years since the push began, organizers say. The high point was in 2011 when the City of Rochester included the park in its capital improvement plan — that, organizers say, showed commitment to the project. But now, […]
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County spokesman says no money promised for performing arts center study
Earlier today it looked like City Council was ready — or as ready as it was going to get — to approve a proposal by Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren to study the feasibility of a new downtown performing arts center. Council members had been dragging their heels, citing questions about the affordability of a new […]
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City Council members not satisfied with PAC study proposal
A City Council committee took Mayor Lovely Warren’s proposal to study a new downtown performing arts center to the woodshed yesterday. Legislation proposed by the mayor is given preliminary consideration by a corresponding Council committee before moving on to the full Council for a vote. Warren’s proposal was considered yesterday during a meeting of the […]
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Now what?
The controversy surrounding a historic church on the city’s west side has outlived the church itself, which burned in a three-alarm job late last month. The building was torn down. The former Westminster Presbyterian Church at 660 West Main had been the focus of a tug of war between, on one side, the building’s owner, […]
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RCSD transportation crisis resolved, but no one’s happy
Rochester school board members held their noses and voted in favor tonight of a one-year deal with RTS to bus city students this coming school year. The vote was 6-1, with board president Van White opposed. None of the board members seem happy with the deal — Commissioner Mary Adams called it “unconscionable” — but […]
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Two firms proposed to study new performing arts center downtown
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren wants to hire two firms to study the feasibility of a new downtown performing arts center. The companies are Lincoln Center Global and Westlake Reed Leskosky. Lincoln Center Global is, according to Crain’s New York Business, the consulting arm of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Westlake is […]
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City of Rochester starts shopping for police body cameras
The City of Rochester has begun shopping for vendors to get its police body-camera program off the ground. Proposals are due by July 31, with the intent of selecting a vendor or vendors by December 1. Most of the language in the city’s request for proposals (see below) seems boilerplate, but you can glean a […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Questions about the police reorg and body cameras
The Rochester Police Department is on my mind these days. Specifically, the police reorg and the city’s decision to outfit cops with body cameras. When is a reorg not a reorg? Well, according to the police union, it’s when you rearrange the desk chairs and call it a reorganization. The city went ahead with the […]
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Calls for better access to police reports
Victims of domestic violence have to deal with fear, emotional harm, and often, physical harm. And if they want a copy of the police report dealing with their case, they have one more hurdle to overcome: they must make a trip downtown to the Public Safety Building. It can be a hardship for people who […]
