URochester Seeks Approval for 172,000 SF Clinic at Former Marketplace Mall

The University of Rochester is seeking final site plan approval for a 172,000-square-foot outpatient clinic on the former Marketplace Mall property in Henrietta, the next step in turning the vacant mall into a medical and education campus, the Rochester Business Journal reported on October 16 Rochester Business Journal.

What Happened

The proposal was on the Town of Henrietta Planning Board's October 15 agenda Rochester Business Journal. The RBJ report did not state the outcome of that meeting.

The clinic would rise at 3400 West Henrietta Road in the northwest quadrant of the former mall. The university plans to demolish the existing mall structure in that area and build a new building within roughly the same footprint, replacing vacant mall space Rochester Business Journal. The new building would connect to the existing Saunders Center for Orthopaedics and Physical Performance to the south and share a demising wall with the planned Mary Cariola Center to the east.

The building would have two main parts. One would house pediatric and adult medical specialists for diagnosis, treatment and complementary care. The other would house the Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute and related space next to the Mary Cariola Center Rochester Business Journal. No project cost, design team, contractor or construction schedule was included in the report.

How the Campus Came Together

The clinic is one piece of a larger plan announced in March. On March 20, 13WHAM reported that the Mary Cariola Center school and the University of Rochester's Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute would move into a significant portion of the mall, with New York State adding a $4 million investment and the Golisano Foundation estimating capacity of about 450 students 13WHAM.

Reports differ on the philanthropic figure. 13WHAM cited $75 million in previously committed funding from Tom Golisano 13WHAM, while WXXI News reported $25 million from Golisano for the project WXXI News.

WXXI described the layout: Mary Cariola's school would take the northern portion of the former mall, the Golisano institute the center portion and a URMC medical center the remainder WXXI News. Henrietta Supervisor Steve Schultz outlined a phased approach for Mary Cariola, starting with a middle school, followed by an elementary school and possibly a high school.

Approvals to Date

The Town of Henrietta lists the combined Marketplace Mall Mixed-Use Project, including applications from the mall's owner, Mary Cariola Children's Center and the University of Rochester's medical clinic expansion and IDD institute, as approved Town of Henrietta. Public hearings were held April 29 and May 20, 2026, a negative declaration was issued under state environmental review, and the special use permit and incentive zoning were approved by Town Board resolution. The approvals allow more medical and school space than the site's earlier mixed-use permit, with the school space requiring incentive zoning Town of Henrietta. The current site plan request covers the university's building specifically.

The Mall's Decline

Owner Wilmorite closed the mall's interior at the end of last year, and its assessed value fell from $82 million in 2018 to $28 million, WXXI reported WXXI News. Several outparcels, including JCPenney, Floor and Decor, Sportsman's Warehouse, Dave and Buster's and IndyKart, remain open and taxable. Because the new uses are nonprofit, the converted space would be tax exempt 13WHAM.

The Henrietta project follows a similar effort elsewhere in Monroe County, where the Town of Greece received $5 million to buy mall land for senior housing. Both reflect a regional shift from retail toward health care, education and housing on former mall sites.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Demolition and new build within an existing footprint. Removing part of an enclosed mall while keeping adjacent buildings in service calls for careful sequencing, structural separation and utility work.
• Shared walls with other owners. A demising wall with the Mary Cariola Center and a connection to the Saunders Center mean fire separation, MEP coordination and schedule alignment across separate projects.
• Specialized health care fit-out. Outpatient specialty clinics and IDD-focused space bring demand for medical gas, imaging-ready structure, accessible design and sensory-sensitive finishes.
• A growing Henrietta pipeline. The clinic adds to active development along West Henrietta Road, including the 364 rental units moving through incentives.

What to Watch

• The Planning Board's decision on final site plan approval.
• A project budget, design team and construction schedule from the university.
• Construction start on the Mary Cariola Center and its phasing.

Bottom Line

The University of Rochester's 172,000-square-foot clinic would anchor the medical side of the Marketplace Mall conversion, joining the Saunders Center and the planned Mary Cariola school in turning a vacant mall into one of the Rochester region's larger health care and education campuses.

Related Coverage

• Greece Gets $5 Million to Buy Mall Land for Senior Housing
• Henrietta Housing Projects Would Add 364 Rentals on West Henrietta Road
• Strong Memorial Hospital's $650 Million Expansion Is Redefining Emergency Care in Rochester

Image credit: Mary Cariola Center, rendering of the planned campus entry at the former Marketplace Mall. Image from the source article.

Sources

• Rochester Business Journal, "URochester advances plans for outpatient clinic at former Marketplace Mall": https://rbj.net/2026/10/16/university-of-rochester-plans-outpatient-clinic-henrietta/
• 13WHAM, "Marketplace Mall eyed as home of new intellectual and developmental disabilities facility": https://13wham.com/news/local/marketplace-mall-eyed-as-home-of-mary-cariola-center-school-and-the-university-of-rochester-golisano-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities-institute-idd-henrietta
• WXXI News, "Mary Cariola sizes up Marketplace Mall corridor for new campus": https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2026-03-26/mary-cariola-sizes-up-marketplace-mall-corridor-for-new-campus
• Town of Henrietta, "Marketplace Mall Mixed-Use Project": https://www.henriettany.gov/community/project/marketplace-mall-mixed-use-project