SESSION 1

RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES ACROSS NYS PART 1

Highway construction in our downtowns has created a range of issues covering a variety of topics. Panelists will address some of these through the unique lens that they have been working with in their pursuit of highway removal in New York. These perspectives include landscape architecture and historic preservation, municipal challenges and opportunities, legal challenges and issues of equity, public engagement and architectural design, and planning experience in complex municipalities and counter proposing prevailing engineering methods. Panelists will represent and discuss efforts in Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany including their challenges and opportunities. Following brief presentations, a panel discussion will be held to further probe this topic. The experience shared in this session will help to inform participants what is being done around the State and help these efforts to progress, improving our cities, and bringing more opportunities to our communities.

Speakers:

Adam Bonosky – moderator
Associate/Senior Planner
SWBR

Catie Stephenson
Executive Director
Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy

Joe Driscoll
I-81 Project Director
City of Syracuse

Scott Townsend
Principal
SWBR

SESSION 2

AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT TO BRIDGE COMMUNITIES

Speakers:

Kimberly Baptiste, AICP
Colliers Engineering & Design

SESSION 3

RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES ACROSS NYS PART 2

Continuation on panel discussion of efforts in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

Speakers:

Adam Bonosky – moderator

Catie Stephenson
Executive Director
Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy

Joe Driscoll
I-81 Project Director
City of Syracuse

Scott Townsend
Principal
SWBR

SESSION 4

INNERCITY CO-DEVELOPMENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Creative Structures Services, Inc aka “CSS” is a general contractor/developer located in Buffalo, NY. CSS Construction’s strength stems from our expertise and experience in working with complex affordable housing initiatives. The Mission for CSS is collaborating with Faith-based/not-for-profit partners in delivering quality affordable housing throughout the Eastside of Buffalo and Western New York with a fundamental goal to deliver “high quality experience development, planning & execution of construction projects.”

The company is about more than just “bricks & mortar.” For over 14 years CSS has administered an internal Minority Mentorship Program. The mission behind the program is to aid individuals with advancement to grow their company. A few areas in which CSS provides support is by assisting individuals in securing business banking lines of credit, budgeting for construction projects, business proforma, oversight of various commercial lending programs and internal CSS office staff support. Currently, there are four M/WBE companies that are being mentored through CSS.

CSS works diligently to contract with MWBE, SDVOB & Section-3 businesses, to the greatest extent possible to meet the diversity goals for each project. To date, CSS has successfully performed construction work with the following public agencies such as: DASNY, LIHTC both 4% & 9% HCR, Federal Home Loan Bank, NYS ESD, City of Buffalo, City of Niagara Falls and Erie County HOME, and CDBG; as well as working with the NYS Brownfield program and SHIPO Historic Presentation credits.

Speakers:

David Pawlik
President
Creative Structures Services, Inc.

SESSION 5

NEIGHBORHOOD OF PLAY AND STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM EXPANSIONS

Municipalities, developers, not for profits, design professionals, and communities at large, need to work together to deliver on large scale planning projects.

The destruction caused by the Inner Loop East in Rochester NY was part of a larger attack on the city’s urban fabric during the 1950’S and 1960’S. The adjacency of the Inner Loop East to large, single use, superblock, urban renewal sites was a significant factor limiting potential for success of the effort to reconnect neighborhoods by removing this section of highway. This limiting factor however was also an additional leverageable opportunity.

With the help of design professionals, the Strong Museum’s leadership understood that more than the Inner Loop infill was possible. Their willingness to rethink the museum’s identity, connect to the community, and partner with the City of Rochester, the State of New York and likeminded private developers, to expand the Inner Loop project beyond the right-of-way, took the project to another level of both placemaking and connectivity.

Speakers:

Craig Jensen
Partner
CJS Architects

SESSION 6

BUILDING TOMORROW:
THE SCIENCE BEHIND URBAN TRANSFORMATION AND THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP

Urban (re)planning initiatives encourage communities to rethink neighborhood use, access, and functionality. Emphasizing adaptive reuse strategies aim to enhance community connectivity, reconnect neighborhoods, and address unintentional divisions caused by existing site utilization, underutilization and infrastructure.

In 2013, the city of Rochester, New York held the first public meeting to discuss their plans to transform the inner loop – long considered a mote around downtown – into productive land that would “Encourage sustainable economic growth and create a more livable downtown”. As a result, the “Inner Loop East” section was divided into seven parcels, birthing the reimagination of this neighborhood as we recognize it today.

Konar Properties, Indus Hospitality Group, and the Strong National Museum of Play formed a partnership to purchase some of these parcels, as well as additional underutilized land, to create their shared vision of The Neighborhood of Play. That vision was to build a fully inclusive, diverse, and dynamic neighborhood for every lifestyle. VIDA offers a wide range of affordable, market-rate and luxury rental housing, retail shopping and dining experiences; the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown by Indus Hospitality Group offers superior hotel accommodations for overnight visitors; and the Strong National Museum of Play’s expansion offers the opportunity to explore – and engage in – “The Science of Play” for generations to come.