Update: Rochester Seeks CM Firm for $59.6M Convention Center Modernization

October 13, 2026

Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center in downtown Rochester | Westside Construction Group

Update: The City of Rochester has issued a Request for Proposals for construction management and inspection services on the $59.6 million modernization of the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center. Proposals are due by noon on November 4, according to the Rochester Business Journal. The new solicitation follows the city's earlier search for a design consultant, which we covered in our earlier post on the project.

What Is New

The city's Bureau of Architecture and Engineering issued the RFP seeking "qualified construction management and inspection firms" for the project Rochester Business Journal. The city wants a multidisciplinary firm with experience in construction management, construction inspection, cost estimating, scheduling, phased construction, quality assurance and quality control, and project closeout. The selected firm would provide services from design and preconstruction through bidding, construction and final closeout Rochester Business Journal.

RFP details, including the pre-proposal meeting and site visit, are posted on the city's contracts, bids and RFPs page. Proposals are due by noon on Wednesday, November 4 WHEC News10NBC.

The Project

The $59.6 million project is funded by New York State and administered by Empire State Development. The budget covers design, engineering, construction, construction management, furniture, fixtures and equipment, and contingency Rochester Business Journal. WHEC reports that the project is part of the city's ROC the Riverway plan WHEC News10NBC.

The work touches nearly every part of the building, including:

Event spaces: the Empire Exhibit Hall, Lilac Ballroom, meeting rooms, public spaces and food service areas Rochester Business Journal.
Interiors and technology: updated finishes, lighting, acoustics, accessibility features and audiovisual capabilities Rochester Business Journal.
Building systems: major HVAC, electrical, plumbing and building code upgrades, plus kitchen infrastructure Rochester Business Journal; WHEC News10NBC.
Skyways: a redesign of the skyways that connect the center to adjacent hotels, parking and restaurants WHEC News10NBC.

Where Things Stand on Schedule

The sources describe the timeline differently. When the city sought a design consultant in December 2025, WXXI News reported that the state had provided funding in May 2025, that the city planned to select a consultant and begin design in summer 2026, and that construction would be done in phases beginning in summer 2029 and likely continuing through summer 2033 WXXI News. WXXI also reported that a separate $13 million addition to the front of the building broke ground in January 2025 and was expected to be finished in 2026 WXXI News.

WHEC's October 9 report states that construction began two years ago and is expected to be finished by the end of 2026 WHEC News10NBC. That description appears to align with the front addition rather than the $59.6 million modernization, but the station does not draw the distinction. The Rochester Business Journal's report on the RFP does not give construction start or end dates Rochester Business Journal. Firms considering a proposal should rely on the RFP documents for the governing schedule.

Why the Center Matters

Visit Rochester, which acts as the convention center's sales arm, books about 110 meetings and conventions a year, according to CEO Don Jeffries. He cited about $1.5 billion in tourism activity in Monroe County, 18,500 jobs and about $100 million in local taxes, and said the organization has hired additional sales staff to pursue conventions WHEC News10NBC.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

CM and inspection firms: The scope runs from preconstruction through closeout, so the selected firm will likely shape estimating, phasing plans and bid packaging for the trades. The requested experience in phased construction signals that the building is expected to keep operating while work proceeds.
Trade contractors: The scope is heavy on MEP and interior work: HVAC, electrical, plumbing, kitchen systems, lighting, acoustics and audiovisual. These packages will follow the design and CM selections, so firms in those trades should track the procurement as it moves forward.
Public work requirements: As a state-funded city project administered by Empire State Development, the work will carry public procurement and reporting requirements that bidders should review early.
Downtown neighbors: The skyway redesign connects the center to adjacent hotels and parking, which means coordination with private property owners and active downtown operations.

What to Watch

The pre-proposal meeting and site visit dates posted with the RFP.
The November 4 proposal deadline and the city's selection of a construction management and inspection firm.
Confirmation of the design consultant's schedule and the first construction phase.
Completion of the separate front addition.

Bottom Line

Rochester has moved its $59.6 million, state-funded convention center modernization into the construction management procurement stage. Proposals from CM and inspection firms are due November 4, and the scope signals a phased, systems-heavy renovation of an operating downtown venue.

Image credit: Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center, via Rochester Business Journal. Image from the source article.