Council creates group to study subway 

Rochester City Council announced Wednesday night during its meeting that it would create a working group to study the proposed Erie Harbor Promenade and surrounding public property. The promenade, along with plans for an apartment complex at Court Street and South Avenue, have caused public concern because it would seal off the east entrance to the abandoned subway, a space historically noteworthy and important for local and visiting artists.

The council also voted unanimously to move forward with allocating $250,000 to Bergmann Associates for additional design services related to the promenade and the Johnson Seymour Race Mill. Councilmember Matt Haag recommended before the vote that though the council would move forward with the funding for designs, they would put all plans on the table until the working group could gather more information.

"There have been many studies done over the years regarding the canal, the subway bed, and our riverfront, and that information needs to be taken into account," Haag says. "I do believe it will be beneficial to have a focused conversation about how we can best achieve moving our community forward while honoring our past and promoting our uniqueness."