City of Rochester
News Release
(Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren joined Chris Bauer of the N.Y. State Office of Planning, Development and Community Infrastructure Tuesday to celebrate the grand opening of the Erie Harbor Promenade Pedestrian Bridge and announce the activities for the inaugural ROC the Riverway Weekend, which begins Friday, Oct. 5.
“With ROC the Riverway, we are assembling a puzzle that is going to create a beautiful new picture along the Genesee River through Downtown, and the Erie Harbor Promenade Pedestrian Bridge represents a major piece of that puzzle,” said Mayor Warren. “I am grateful that Gov. Cuomo and all of our partners in Albany share our vision for the job-creating, community-building potential of the mighty Genesee River and I want to thank New York Secretary of State Rosanna Rosado for supporting the Promenade Project.”
New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said, “The Department of State is proud to have contributed funding to develop the Erie Harbor promenade, transforming an underutilized waterfront property into a great public space. This project highlights the Genesee River, attracts visitors to the area and encourages private development to the surrounding community. This transformation is just the beginning; as additional improvements to Genesee Gateway Park will bring new recreational amenities and create a truly wonderful urban waterfront experience for the City.”
The new pedestrian bridge affords dramatic new views of the Genesee River and is part of the larger, $4.5 million Promenade at Erie Harbor Project, which also includes work on the cofferdams, river and raceway walls, the promenade and overlooks, landscaping, sidewalks, railings and more. The new pedestrian bridge will connect Court Street to the Promenade at Erie Harbor Park, which is nearing completion along the riverfront parallel to South Avenue between Court Street and the Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Bridge. With its central location, the bridge will link important ROC the Riverway projects that will be built along the Riverway Trail, including the ROC City Skate Park to the south and the re-imagined Broad Street Aqueduct to the north.
Formerly known as River Romance Weekend, the Rochester region’s most popular fall festival has been re-branded as ROC the Riverway Weekend to highlight the relationship between the riverfront development and the people who engage with the river.
The weekend will run from Friday, Oct. 5 through Sunday, Oct. 7 and feature more than three dozen events and activities to highlight the historic significance, natural beauty and economic potential of the Genesee River in Rochester. Events include guided tours, historical reenactments, nature walks, bike rides, kayak excursions and the popular marriage-vow renewal ceremony on the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge. There will also be events to help visitors learn about the ongoing ROC the Riverway riverfront development program.
“The Genesee River is a powerful force running through our city, but its true power lies in the stories it has to tell,” said Mayor Warren. “ROC the Riverway Weekend is an opportunity to experience those stories and learn how this mighty river has shaped the history of Rochester. It is also an opportunity to learn more about our ROC the Riverway program in partnership with the state of New York and witness history in progress as we harness the natural beauty of the Genesee River to help us create more jobs, safer/more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has dedicated $50 million under the Finger Lakes Forward initiative to launch the first phase of the ROC the Riverway program with 13 transformative projects. Funding for the Promenade project was provided by the New York State Department of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund.
To learn more about the ROC the Riverway Program and to see a full schedule of the ROC the Riverway Weekend activities, visit: www.cityofrochester.gov/ROCtheRiverway.
To learn more about the Promenade project, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/erieharborpromenade/.
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For more information, contact Interactive Media Editor Patrick Flanigan at 428-7135.