This
Saturday marks a chance for residents of the Upper Monroe to stake a claim for
the future of their neighborhood.
Local
architects, city planners, and neighborhood residents will be banding together
for a day-long design charrette. And there are some big topics to address
during the brainstorming session: the Culver Road Armory, Cobbs Hill, retail
along Monroe Avenue….
The
Upper Monroe Neighborhood is that triangle of city residential streets along
Culver and Monroe bounded by 490.
“It’s
not a neighborhood that’s in bad shape, but it’s in mediocre shape. And it’s
been in mediocre shape for a while now,” says Elizabeth Wallace. Wallace
doesn’t actually live in the neighborhood, but she’s a member of the economic
committee of Third Presbyterian Church, one of the key players in the
charrette.
When
Wallace views the neighborhood, she sees a ton of potential for improvement.
Upper Monroe is home to one of the city’s more desirable residential streets
— the picturesque Crossman Terrace — but it’s also home to a high number of
rental properties and vacant buildings.
“We
don’t want to accuse anybody of allowing loitering or drug dealing, but some of
that does occur,” Wallace says. “If landlords improve their property, they can
charge more rent.”
When
it comes to the Armory, that mammoth structure on Culver near the 490 overpass
that has been rumored most recently to become a performing arts complex,
residents will get a chance to voice their opinions.
The
Armory is home to “a tremendous amount of greenspace and building space,” says
Rochester Regional Community Design Center Executive Director Joni Monroe, who
will be leading the charrette. “The performing arts center idea is still on the
table, though. And focus groups will be encouraged to be sensitive to that.”
Some
Upper Monroe residents feel Cobbs Hill Park along Culver Road “is not very
inviting,” says Wallace. “We’d like to make it a more vital part of the
community. There are lots of little things that can be done to make that
section of the park more inviting.”
All
this brainstorming is great, but what becomes of it once the day is done?
All
the written comments from the charrette will be compiled into a summary report.
Then a smaller steering committee will use the report to establish a list of
short- and long-term goals for the neighborhood. This will be followed by more
public meetings. And from there?
“It
really depends,” Monroe says. “There are a lot of possibilities. The most
dramatic example of what can happen during a charrette is ARTWalk [the
award-winning urban art trail along University Avenue]. That’s a dramatic
development. But it depends on the area and what’s readily achievable.”
And
when it comes to solving the problem of vacant properties, Monroe says all you
have to do is look back to University Avenue circa 1980.
“The
entire Flatiron Building was vacant,” she says. “My Upton Park house, when I
purchased it in 1978, was boarded up. Nothing will turn around unless people
roll up their sleeves. I don’t care what community you live in. If there are
vacancies, they are vacant for a reason. Over time, if dollars are invested and
physical changes take place, everybody gets a sense of community to work
together. Bringing people together around some of these issues makes the
community stronger.”
The Upper
Monroe Neighborhood Association’s Design Charrette takes place
on Saturday, October 16, at New Life Presbyterian Church, corner of Monroe and
Rosedale, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Continental breakfast and buffet lunch
provided. Pre-registration preferred. 256-2720.
This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2004.
