Rochester, New York — The Joseph A. Floreano Riverside Convention Center in downtown Rochester has secured $59.6 million in state funding for a comprehensive modernization project that will overhaul the facility's critical infrastructure systems, according to reporting by Rochester Business Journal published on December 19, 2025.
The renovation represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to keep Rochester competitive as a destination for major conferences, conventions, and meetings. The facility, which opened in August 1985, has served as a catalyst for downtown economic development, but aging HVAC systems, outdated IT infrastructure, and interior finishes that reflect the building's 1980s construction date have left the center struggling to meet modern expectations from event planners and attendees.
While the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center appears pristine from the outside, its infrastructure tells a different story. Heating and air conditioning systems are beyond their useful life, electronic components and fixtures have deteriorated, and ballroom acoustics no longer meet modern standards for premium events.
Kelly Carr, executive director of the convention center, emphasized the urgency of modernization: "It's really important to bring the facility into the modern era. It has great bones, it was very well designed, but it needs a facelift. We have to modernize if we're going to get peoples' attention."
Without improvements, Rochester risks losing conventions and events to competing cities including Buffalo, Albany, Cleveland, Hartford, and Pittsburgh — all of which have recently modernized their facilities. The tight competitive environment for convention business means facility quality directly influences event planners' venue selection decisions.
Over the course of a year, Visit Rochester brings approximately 110 conventions, trade shows, and meetings to the city. Each event generates significant economic activity, as thousands of visiting professionals stay in local hotels, dine at downtown restaurants, and shop at local retailers.
In December alone, 3,000 visitors attended the New York State School Music Association and Winter Conference at the convention center — bringing new money into the local economy. Unlike local spending that simply recirculates existing money through the community, convention visitor spending represents fresh capital injection.
Don Jeffries, president and CEO of Visit Rochester, explained the broader significance: "This brings new money into the community. If you and I go shop at Wegmans, that's money that's already here being recirculated. But people coming to town for conventions and meetings bring in new money. They're staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants and shopping in some of our shops."
However, the loss of approximately 480 hotel rooms when the Rochester Riverside Hotel closed in 2020 significantly reduced downtown accommodation. Although convention-goers are bused to suburban hotels, this arrangement means the city misses out on visitor spending at downtown restaurants and retail establishments. Restoring downtown hotel capacity remains a parallel need.
The modernization project will address multiple critical systems:
The project timeline includes multiple phases: City Engineer Holly Barrett explained that the city issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) in December 2025, with walk-throughs for developers and consultants scheduled for the second week of January. Proposals are due by January 30, 2026, with consultant contract award expected in June 2026. Planning will commence after consultant selection, with construction bids going out around March 2028, and main construction anticipated to run through 2033.
The RFP specifically requires comprehensive stakeholder engagement. Planning officials will gather input from city, county, and Visit Rochester leadership, as well as local and national meeting planners and convention industry peers from other modernized facilities.
Carr noted the importance of learning from peer institutions: "I want to ask, 'Now that it's completed, what do you wish you had done that you didn't do, or what was done that maybe didn't need to be done?' This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, so we want to make sure we do it right."
The modernization extends beyond the convention center itself. Existing skyways connecting the facility to the adjacent Hyatt Hotel and parking garage are being reimagined as gateway features that improve the visitor experience and reinforce downtown connectivity. Another skyway crosses Main Street but currently leads nowhere — it previously connected to the Rochester Riverside Hotel, which has been vacant since 2020.
City Engineer Barrett indicated that future redevelopment of the Riverside Hotel property may integrate with convention center improvements: "The vision there is being developed and we will have future conversations with that entity on how to integrate with the project. With all of these large transformations, even though they're on different time frames and trajectories, we're looking at the vision for the entire convention center district."
For construction professionals and contractors in the Rochester region, this $59.6 million modernization project represents significant opportunity. The project will require specialized expertise in HVAC installation, accessibility upgrades, interior finishes, technology integration, and facility modernization — areas where experienced Rochester-based contractors can compete for work.
The convention center project also signals Rochester's commitment to downtown investment and competitive positioning. By maintaining the convention center as a first-class facility, the city reinforces downtown as the regional hub for business events, tourism, and economic activity. This supports related development initiatives, including potential hotel construction, restaurant expansion, and retail development.
The project could serve as a catalyst for broader downtown revitalization, similar to how successful convention center upgrades have sparked renewed investment in other cities. Improved event facilities drive foot traffic, support local employment, and enhance the overall appeal of downtown as a business and cultural destination.
The immediate next step involves consultant selection by mid-2026. Once an experienced design and planning firm is in place, detailed planning will determine final scope, phasing, and construction sequence. A key decision that remains pending is whether modernization will proceed in phases while events continue, or whether the center will close temporarily to accelerate work.
Similar projects at other venues offer precedent. When Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial underwent expansion and renovation beginning in 1996, work proceeded in phases over two and a half years to allow the Rochester Americans hockey team to continue playing during the season.
For Rochester's construction industry, development professionals, and downtown stakeholders, the convention center modernization represents a critical investment in the region's future. As Kelly Carr stated, "I'm fully invested in Rochester as a destination for conferences and events. Hopefully this project can be a catalyst for other developers downtown."
Additional information on the Rochester convention center project is available from the City of Rochester and Visit Rochester. For comprehensive coverage, see the original reporting by Rochester Business Journal.
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