Rochester City Council OK's expansion of downtown district

Yellow with red lines denotes approved expansion of downtown district (City of Rochester graphic)

ROCHESTER - Rochester's City Council pm Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal from the Economic Development Department to rezone several properties surrounding the downtown, expanding the district and allowing for more density.

Approved by the Planning Board in October, the rezoning changes 15 properties from residential to commercial. City Council decided to include a small city-owned parcel as well, which is located at the end of River Street.

Councilor Steven Beaudion asked Economic Development Director Michael Scala if there were any known commercial or residential proposals for the new zone. Scala said there were no formal proposals at this time and the effort to rezone was a proactive approach.

According to Scala, the listing of the former St. Elizabeth Seton School building was the impetus for the expansion.