A boost for Rochester riverfront development?

The Vacuum
Oil industrial site in southwest Rochester typified the city’s manufacturing
muscle in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when busy factories dotted
the area.

But the now-rundown
25-acre collection of public and private properties on the west bank of the
Genesee River at Flint Street could see a revival. A bill sponsored by US Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Louise Slaughter could help to spur
growth in the area.

Gillibrand
was in Rochester earlier today at the site to talk about the legislation. The
Waterfront Brownfields Revitalization Act would provide grants to local
governments to redevelop abandoned and underused industrial properties on
waterfronts.

The
legislation would provide $220 million over five years. Public entities could
apply for grants up to $500,000 to redevelop areas like the Vacuum Oil site.

Brownfield
cleanups are too expensive for developers to handle by themselves, said Michael
Keane, a spokesperson for the city.

“Once the
cleanup is complete, developers can make an investment and get a return out of
it,” he said.

Once developed,
the site, which is in the Plymouth Exchange neighborhood, would further the
city’s plans to develop the riverfront. Some initial planning for the site is
already under way.

Though most
residents and city officials agree that the river is one of the area’s most
important assets, riverfront development has been slow in Rochester. For much
of the city’s history, the Genesee served industry, leaving some areas
contaminated with pollutants.

This article appears in Show Time: The Rochester Fringe Festival.