Speaking as a resident of Main
Street near the SibleyBuilding, I found “The State of
Main” (April 14) thoughtful regarding pedestrian traffic. Its scope, however,
was woefully shortsighted. It neglected the West Main
corridor from the Cascade District to Bulls Head.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย With the fast ferry, enclosed BroadStreetBridge-ErieCanal
tribute walkway, Susan B. Anthony House preservation, and new FrederickDouglassMuseum,
heritage tourism in Rochester needs development now. These and other undeveloped cultural
pearls form a necklace stretching from Broad Street
to Bulls Head along the West Main corridor.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย East
Main is doing well, reaping the rewards of urban development in
the Cultural District near the Eastman Theatre. The number of downtown
residents in the East End is slowly but surely reaching
a critical mass with upscale housing targeted at empty nesters. Renovation of
the TempleBuilding
is nearing completion.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But the West
End, historically Bulls Head, lost the urban-development focus in
the early 1990s when the city shifted its interest and funding to the UpperFalls. Plans for development near
St. Mary’s Hospital fell victim to the pursuit of
entertainment.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The West
Main Street area westward of the showcase Cascade
District has the “iron collar” of the Inner Loop bridge,
which serves as a psychological barrier to pedestrian traffic.Rochesterians tout Nick Tahou’s
Garbage Plate, yet its beautiful former railway terminal building is
deteriorating rapidly. Restoration would promote pedestrian traffic from Corn
Hill residents and downtown hotels. Vest-pocket parks with security measures
are steppingstone necessities.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Within 50
yards of the Inner Loop bridge at 217 West Main
is a large outdoor historical landmark waiting to be restored at very low cost:
a second-story 1944 presidential campaign mural. Bleeding through an exterior
coat of brick red paint is the visible inscription, “victory, peace, jobs,
security: Vote for Roosevelt.” The huge block lettering
can be seen from vehicular traffic from West Broad and West Main Streets.ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The final pearl in this necklace is the
stunning display of sacred art at Saints Peter and Paul Church at 720 West Main.
This church has a rich 161-year history with fascinating tales from Rochester’s
early history.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The synergy
of historical connections will aid West Main
development. Collaboration among the people linked to the historical sites
needs the coordination and financial support of government at all levels
working with groups devoted to cultural preservation.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย John E. Curran, East Main
Street, Rochester Curran is a core
planner for Neighborhood United, a grassroots neighborhood-improvement group
serving the West Main and Brown Streets area.
This article appears in May 19-25, 2004.
