On October 23, our design team was on hand as Gallina Development announced plans for Innovation Square in Downtown Rochester. The redevelopment of the former Xerox Tower, which consists of a full city block, is envisioned as a collaborative academically focused campus in the heart of downtown Rochester in which students from multiple academic institutions can live, learn, and innovate in an urban environment.
Innovation Square will be a hub for student housing in the downtown core. Beyond the student housing floors, the building will offer commercial space, dedicated amenity space, and retail space. Phase 1 of the project will consist of the construction of the first five floors of student housing, which will offer students an alternative to traditional “on campus” housing and the ability to locate in downtown. To foster academic and creative collisions and to spark growth in our local ecosystem, the project will house 450 or more upper level and graduate students when construction is completed. Within each floor will be multiple bedroom suites with kitchens, bathrooms, laundry, and state-of-the-art appliances. Academic programing, including classes, events and educational activities will be offered to students enrolled at local colleges and universities and will provide access to all the amenities available on their respective campuses.
Amenities will include student lounges, a fitness center, sound-proof practice rooms, and a lab/gallery/maker space. The existing 700-person auditorium will be available to host a variety of events, such as lectures, concerts, e-sports tournaments, student films and much more.
In addition to student housing, the upper portion of the building will be marketed as commercial office space. The space will be fully renovated and modernized to attract high tech companies from around the country looking to relocate to an environment with a built-in student talent pool to draw from. By bringing companies into an urban campus and a building that houses students, this unique opportunity creates the ability for internships, mentorships and eventually, full time employment, keeping students in Rochester after graduation.
“This is an amazing opportunity to revitalize an underutilized full city block in Rochester,” said Project Manager and SWBR Design Director Rob Fornataro, AIA. “Innovation Square will be an education and technology community that will attract students and companies to Rochester.”
The first phase of the project is expected to be ready for the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
News Features:
WHEC:
https://www.whec.com/news/update-on-xerox-tower-plans-expected-friday/5903391/