Update: Rochester Council Approves $20M Pass-Through for Terrence Building Demolition

Update: Rochester City Council on Tuesday, October 20, unanimously approved moving $20 million in state grant funding to the developer of the Terrence Building site on Elmwood Avenue, clearing the city's piece of the approval chain for demolition of the long-vacant former Rochester Psychiatric Center tower. The state first committed the money in June. What is new this week is the council action and a clearer picture of who will carry the work and how long it may take.

What Happened

The council voted unanimously to approve funding for the demolition and future redevelopment of the Terrence Building, a former psychiatric hospital that neighbors describe as a magnet for vandalism since it was abandoned in 1995 (13WHAM). According to the station, the $20 million in grant funding will go to the project developer, which plans a mixed-use development on the property (13WHAM).

WHEC identified the developer as Whitestone Development Partners and reported that the plan is to remove the asbestos, take down the building and build 400 to 500 housing units on the site (WHEC). Earlier this month, 13WHAM reported that the city's role is to act as a pass-through for the state money, which will reimburse the developer for the work (13WHAM).

WCG first covered the state commitment in New York Commits $20 Million to Demolish Rochester's Terrence Building, Clearing a Site for About 500 Homes. That post described the funding as part of the state budget and the broader Rochester package announced on June 9. This update covers the local vote that moves the money toward the developer.

Where Things Stand

• Funding: $20 million in state money, announced by Governor Kathy Hochul during a June visit to Rochester and now approved by City Council for transfer to the developer (WHEC).
• Developer: Whitestone Development Partners, which declined to comment to 13WHAM earlier this month (13WHAM).
• Scope: Asbestos abatement and demolition of the tower, followed by housing. WHEC puts the housing at 400 to 500 units, while 13WHAM reported that officials in June described more than 500 units (WHEC; 13WHAM).
• Schedule: No demolition start date has been set. WHEC reported that the city says the developer will set the date (WHEC). A firm representative told 13WHAM that abatement and demolition could each take about a year (13WHAM).

The Building

The structure was built in the 1950s and has been empty since the psychiatric center closed in 1995. 13WHAM describes it as a 17-story, 500,000 square foot building riddled with asbestos, while WHEC refers to a 16-story vacant building (13WHAM; WHEC). The difference in story counts has appeared in coverage for months and has not been settled by any published survey.

The building's condition has also drawn emergency response. 13WHAM reported that two people were trapped on the roof during a 2019 fire that sent about 60 firefighters searching the structure, and that Rochester police have responded to the building 17 times so far this year for suspicious alarm-type calls (13WHAM). Neighbors interviewed by the station said they want the eyesore gone and asked the developer to keep the community informed.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

With the council vote done, the next visible milestones are the developer's procurement of abatement and demolition work and a published start date. A high-rise asbestos abatement of this size is specialized work. Licensed abatement contractors, air monitoring firms, environmental consultants and demolition subcontractors with high-rise experience are the trades most directly in line for the first phase.

The reported durations matter for scheduling. If abatement and demolition each run about a year, as the firm representative suggested, vertical housing construction would follow well after that, which puts site work, utilities and building packages further out (13WHAM). Estimators should still treat building height, gross area and unit counts as unconfirmed until abatement surveys and bid documents are issued, given the 16 versus 17 story discrepancy and the range of 400 to more than 500 units in reporting.

The reimbursement structure is also worth noting. Because the city is passing state money through to a private developer, payment timing for the demolition team will likely depend on the developer's reimbursement requests moving through the city and state. Subcontractors bidding this work should ask how draws will be processed and how retainage will be handled.

The project sits alongside other housing efforts in the city. Rochester's downtown housing push through the state's transformation fund is covered in Update: Rochester-Monroe Fund Draws Nine Bids, Mostly Downtown Housing.

What to Watch

• A demolition start date from Whitestone Development Partners.
• Abatement and demolition bid solicitations, including any prequalification requirements.
• Site plan or zoning submissions that confirm the housing count, building types and phasing.
• Any state documents describing how the $20 million reimbursement will be released.

Bottom Line

The Terrence Building has stood empty for more than 30 years. With unanimous council approval of the $20 million pass-through, the funding is lined up and the next move belongs to the developer. For the regional contractor market, the near-term work is abatement and demolition, with a housing build to follow on a timeline that has not yet been published.

Related Coverage

• New York Commits $20 Million to Demolish Rochester's Terrence Building, Clearing a Site for About 500 Homes
• Rochester’s Terrence Building Demolition Moves Forward With $20 Million State Commitment
• Update: Rochester-Monroe Fund Draws Nine Bids, Mostly Downtown Housing

Image credit: John Washnis/WHAM (13WHAM Skyview Drone). Image from the source article.

Sources

• 13WHAM, "Rochester City Council advances Terrence Building demolition and redevelopment": https://13wham.com/news/local/rochester-city-council-advances-terrence-building-demolition-and-redevelopment
• WHEC, "Rochester City Council approves state funding to demolish former psychiatric center": https://www.whec.com/top-news/rochester-city-council-approves-state-funding-to-demolish-former-psychiatric-center/
• 13WHAM, "Timeline unclear as funding to demolish Terrence Building advances through City Council": https://13wham.com/newsletter-daily/timeline-unclear-as-funding-to-demolish-terrence-building-advances-through-city-council-rochester-psych-center-haunted-abandoned-vacant-building