City Announces Next Steps in Revitalization of Bull’s Head Neighborhood

This month marks an important milestone in the revitalization of Rochester’s Bull’s Head Neighborhood. On Jan. 22, DevelopROC presented its proposed preliminary plans and begin to obtain feedback and input from community members.

DevelopROC, a consortium of local and national stakeholders, includes locally based US Ceiling Corp., Pensacola, Fla.-based The Dawson Co., Philadelphia-based Shift Capital, Chicago-based Brinshore Development, and Atlanta-based The Oughtness Group. As a result of an RFQ process to identify a developer the City selected the consortium to serve as the primary developer for the 12-acre Bull’s Head project, create a proposed plan, and obtain community input.  

Once a plan is approved, DevelopROC will lead the effort to identify and work with tenants, finalize necessary remediation, and oversee the build out of the neighborhood. The team is already welcoming ESL Federal Credit Union in the first phase of development. 

The City of Rochester began working on the Bull’s Head revitalization effort with a community input and planning process in 2009, expanded the footprint of the project in 2017, created a Bull’s Head Urban Renewal Plan in 2018, identified more than 60 potential brownfield sites and obtained official Brownfield Opportunity Area Program designation from the NYS Department of State in January 2021.  

Since the City selected DevelopROC in 2021, it has continued to oversee necessary demolition, and is scheduled to complete that work mid-year 2024. In addition, the City of Rochester will manage all street construction and has local and federal funds earmarked for the street portion of the project. Preliminary street engineering design will be completed by fall 2025, and construction is scheduled to begin in 2026. 

The City will host a public information meeting to discuss the proposed conceptual street improvements, including suggested intersection reconfigurations to improve pedestrian safety and bicycle connectivity as well as new street extensions to support the development plan shared by DevelopROC.  The public information meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, at the Salvation Army on 100 West Ave.  

The Bull’s Head neighborhood, in the southwest quadrant of the city, is where West Main Street, Genesee Street, Brown Street, Chili Avenue, and West Avenue converge. The 12-acre redevelopment area includes properties both north and south of West Main Street. 

For additional information go to www.DevelopROC.com.