Rochester's long-anticipated Bull's Head neighborhood revitalization is finally moving from planning to construction. According to WXXI News reporting published December 1, 2025, the city's west side district is preparing to begin infrastructure work, build a workforce development center, and construct new housing across approximately 12 acres of vacant land near where West Main Street splits into Chili and West avenues.
The Bull's Head transformation will begin with a significant realignment of side streets scheduled to start in spring 2026 and be completed by fall 2027. This foundational infrastructure work will set the stage for the residential and commercial development to follow.
City Council is expected to vote later in December 2025 on an additional $78,000 in funding for environmental investigation and cleanup of properties at 42 York Street and 845-855 West Main Street, bringing the total environmental remediation authorization to $838,000, according to WXXI News.
Construction of the Bull's Head Empowerment Center is scheduled to begin in 2026. This facility will serve as a workforce development hub for the construction industry, providing training programs and career pathways for Rochester residents.
According to Melissa Suchodolski, president of USC Builds (a local development partner working on the project), the center will house offices for construction firms involved in the development, along with job training programs and a childcare facility. "We're trying to create a construction workforce development ecosystem that is industry driven, and has job outcomes as the priority," Suchodolski stated.
Initially designed as a four-story building, escalating construction costs forced developers to scale the Empowerment Center down to two stories, and possibly just one story, to ensure affordability for the nonprofit tenant base.
Rochester Cornerstone Group is developing 16 for-sale single-family houses within the Bull's Head project area. The company recently began construction on 14 single-family and attached townhouses in the nearby JOSANA neighborhood, which will be its largest homeownership project to date—until Bull's Head is completed.
Beyond the for-sale homes, the project team is "in conversation on a substantial affordable, multifamily development," according to Suchodolski. These apartments could total more than 100 mixed-income and affordable units and could be fast-tracked to begin construction simultaneously with the single-family homes.
Momentum is already building in Bull's Head. ESL Federal Credit Union, a Rochester-based institution, recently opened a new full-service branch on a .84-acre section of the former Bull's Head Plaza parking lot near West Main and Genesee streets. This marks the first major tenant occupancy in the redevelopment area.
Additional commercial buildings and cleanup projects are also in development, unlocking further parcels for future investment.
The Bull's Head project represents a significant opportunity for local construction firms and contractors. The infrastructure realignment, building construction, and associated environmental remediation work will generate substantial employment and economic activity. Contractors specializing in street and utility work, commercial construction, and residential building will find opportunities across multiple project phases extending through 2027 and beyond.
Bull's Head has been described as "the western gateway" to Rochester and is a neighborhood that has been strained by years of disinvestment. Getting the project to this point has taken decades, with community meetings about Bull's Head dating back to the 1990s.
Suchodolski emphasized the importance of building trust with the community. "I will not make a promise I cannot keep," she said. "I may not give you all the answers, because I'm working on it, because I really want to hold that integrity to heart and make sure that I'm not misleading or being incorrect in a way that would break trust."
Rochester Cornerstone Group president noted that Bull's Head represents a unique opportunity to create a neighborhood center within a traditional neighborhood, distinct from the scattered-site infill development approach used in other projects like JOSANA.
Over the next several months, expect to see:
WXXI News - "Bull's Head readies for new streets, a workforce center and newly built houses," by Brian Sharp, Published December 1, 2025, 5:05 AM EST, wxxinews.org
Information in this article about project timelines, development partners, construction costs, facility features, and community commitment comes directly from the WXXI News reporting and statements from Melissa Suchodolski, president of USC Builds.
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