CANAL COMMONS
Affordable Housing
Rochester, New York
Winner of 2024 NYS Preservation League Excellence Award
In response to the need for safe, affordable housing in the Center City of Rochester, this brick masonry and timber-framed former factory has been rehabilitated into Canal Commons, 123 units of affordable and supportive housing with community support space on a 1.7 acre site.
Located in the Susan B. Anthony Preservation District (AKA Madison Square / West Main Street Historic District), the building was originally constructed in phases from 1900-1920 in the Renaissance Revival Architectural Style as the Utz and Dunn Shoe Company, a manufacturer of women’s shoes. From 1938-1983, the building was operated by the Bravo Macaroni Company, and after its closing, was used for storage, subsequently sitting vacant prior to redevelopment.
The building was named one of “the 2020 Five to Revive” by the Landmark Society of Western New York, bringing attention to properties “with significant historic aspects of our shared built environment whose redevelopment can become catalytic projects for the neighborhoods and communities that surround them.”
Beyond preserving one of the last remaining vacant historic resources in the historic district, Canal Commons has created housing opportunities for marginalized community members, has remediated a brownfield site, has transformed a major source of vacancy and blight, and has expanded capacity of underrepresented development firms.
Canal Commons created desperately needed affordable and workforce housing in a stable neighborhood with exceptional access to public transportation. The property serves 70 households who are experiencing mental health or substance use disorders and houses several chronically homeless individuals. Intensive, wrap around supportive services are available on-site to ensure the needs of the hardest to serve residents are met and that they remain stably housed.
The development participated in the NYS Brownfield Remediation Program, completing extensive removal and treatment of contaminants found in the building, soil, and groundwater. The environmental work has enhanced the safety and livability of not only the project site, but of all neighboring properties and residents. The remediation work converted a vacant industrial factory building into a property that is now safe for residential occupancy.
Prior to redevelopment, the property had been vacant and underutilized for decades, and had become a significant source of blight. Windows were broken, trash and weeds had accumulated, and water damage was increasingly evident as the roof structure began to fail. The building was a magnet for vagrant activity. The property was transformed from a massive and highly visible eyesore to a beautiful asset.
Design sensitivity to the historic character was addressed in part by the substantial percentage (20%) of the budget dedicated to masonry restoration, window restoration and replacement. Character-defining elements such as building massing, circulation, fenestration, and materials were maintained and showcased. Strategic new insertions such as the courtyard entrance addition compliment the original historic structure.
