Despite concern over Renaissance Square and worries about whether state money will come through to demolish Midtown, a vision for how downtown could look in 15 years is emerging. The Rochester Regional Community Design Center (RRCDC) unveiled a series of plans and images of a vibrant downtown to serve as design recommendations for new development.

The plans divide downtown into five separate urban villages: the center city, which includes Ren Square, Midtown, and St. Joseph's Park; the north end of the river and the High Falls District; the Southeast Inner Loop and the Strong Museum; Main Street from Union Street to the Cascade District; and the south end of the river from South Avenue to the Broad Street aqueduct.

Revitalizing downtown, says RRCDC Director Joni Monroe, requires breaking apart Midtown and Sibley's massive forms. These large structures, once the hub of downtown, have become barriers.

"These big blocks like Midtown, which is an eight-acre site, really don't work in urban centers like this anymore," she says. "It's too walled off. It closes us in. One of the basic tenants of good planning is to create spaces where people can look inside, see other people, and interact."

All of the designs encourage breaking large parcels into smaller, interchangeable sites with parks and clear vistas. Pedestrian-friendly green space with grass, trees, and widened sidewalks connect the city center to the other urban villages. The center city design, for instance, breaks Midtown into smaller building sites suitable for offices and retail. Sections of the Sibley building would be demolished, leaving most of its distinctive exterior, but dividing the main structure into at least three sections suitable for housing, retail, and parking.

"We are seeing resurgence," says Heidi Zimmer-Meyer, president of the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation. "We are tracking $900 million in development just in downtown. Good planning will protect that investment, increase property values, and encourage more development."

The project has taken two years, involving more than 125 architects and designers. RRCDC will issue a report on its recommendations next month, but images of the downtown designs are available online.