If you've been a critic of Ren Square - and I certainly have been - it's time to make a tough decision: would you rather have it with the big theater, or without it?
Because unless I've missed something, the bus station and the MCC components will be built. If the Ren Square folks and the Rochester Broadway Theatre League can raise $55 million, we'll also have a theater.
The chances that the entire project will die are, I'd bet, zilch.
Scream and howl if you like - and I've done my share - but county, MCC, and RGRTA officials want this project. They own the land. They have the money to build two-thirds of it.
And on Monday, Mayor Bob Duffy told this newspaper that he'll support the project even if there's no theater.
Duffy didn't sound happy about it. He'd prefer that Ren Square include the theater, but he's convinced that it'll be hard to raise the money it needs. Last week, Ren Square officials spelled out where they hope to get that $55 million. Only $10 million would come from private sources. The rest would come from public funds, predominantly state funds, with a few million thrown in by the county.
LOL, as the kids say.
Ren Square officials are kicking off the fund-raising campaign for the theater under the worst possible conditions. The economic news is enough to make all of us hold on tight to our wallets. The community is divided about Ren Square, and the ferry failure has made everybody suspicious of big projects.
In addition, Ren Square leaders are starting this campaign with no money in hand. Traditionally, you launch a multimillion-dollar campaign with a flourish, announcing donations from at least a couple of angels who've put the campaign well on its way. Despite the lengthy planning for this project, though, Ren Square's leaders haven't yet lined up any private donations.
So they're going to rely heavily on public funding - mostly state funding - for the theater. And at this point, the Democrats in the state legislature aren't on board.
Also a problem: Ren Square officials announced last week that the theater would have an annual operating deficit of about $1 million. Where will that money come from? Potential sources include an increase in the hotel-motel tax, an increase or reallocation of the county's sales tax, receipts from events parking at the Mortimer Street garage, lease revenue from the Edwards Building (which the county now owns), and $100,000 in annual RBTL fundraising.
Just for starters: reallocating part of the sales tax means something else won't get funded in this money-strapped county. The public needs to know what that will be. The city owns the Mortimer Street garage, and Mayor Duffy says nobody has asked him about diverting some of its revenue to Ren Square. Increasing the hotel-motel tax could discourage conventions.
And relying on RBTL to raise $100,000 a year above what it already raises in donations and sponsorships makes me nervous. If that doesn't happen, what then? Will we kick RBTL out and have a big, empty theater much of the year? Or will we give RBTL a pass and make up the deficit some other way?
We haven't seen the operating budget for the bus station, either. Ren Square officials have insisted for years that there won't be a deficit. But the transit authority doesn't have a bus station now. That's additional operating costs. Where will that money come from?
I'm beginning to feel trapped. If my choice is Ren Square with the theater or without, I'm tempted to say "with." But I'm making that choice with way too little information.
Maggie Brooks says Ren Square won't suffer from the mistakes the city made with the ferry. But it was an overly optimistic operating plan that sunk the ferry, and I'm getting the same feeling about Ren Square.
Comments for "URBAN JOURNAL | Which Ren Square do you want?" (8)
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Doug Midkiff said on Aug. 20, 2008 at 7:56pm
Mary Anna, I am sorry to read that Mayor Duffy has said he will support the RenSquare project, even without a theater. I still hope it will die under its own weight, but maybe not.. As an 84-year old, I doubt I'll live to see when your paper and the D&C, with many citizen comments, are bemoaning the fact taxpayer money is beig used again to make up for the bad judgment of its leaders.
It boils down to the fact that the county and city leaders are "prostituting" themselves to the lure of federal transportation money, which has been promised on the questionable premise that building RenSquare will generate more bus riders. What a pity. I thought Mayor Duffy was above that.
Scott Fisher said on Aug. 20, 2008 at 9:41pm
I wouldn't be surprised if the politicians wanting Renaissance Square would come up with the idea of raising bus fares as a way to pay for the theater. (Oops, I shouldn't have given them any ideas.) I think if this thing is built, all the politicians and bureaucrats supporting it should be forced to ride the bus to and from work every day for the rest of their lives.
andrew stainton said on Aug. 24, 2008 at 3:55pm
Ren square fact check:
The Main and Clinton Downtown Development Corp does not "own the land".
Max Faracsh did dump his gateway building on the county, but otherwise rest of block is privately owned, providing tax revenues and shopping opportunities (with potential for more). Some storefronts even since 1855!
City Hall owns Mortimer st, which also would have to be turned over. It would be interesting if any city councilpeople stand up for rochester and voter "no", or at least ask some of the tough questions yet to be answered before tearing down one of the oldest buildings left downtown and a good bit of tax base as well.
A prime example; it is impossible for eastbound buses to travel the route needed to get to and through the station. Simply impossible, and with current plan and there is no real way to rectify this fatal design flaw..
This is the big story of the $100 million transit investment being -- it really does not work-- and can be expected to be abandoned within days or ours of opening. This is why no traffic report has been released. It would show that main and clinton CANNOT handle all buses from all four direction, three of which require TURNING through that restricted intersection. Not just undesireable, IMPOSSIBLE.
This is the core absurdity that any independent analysis of the traffic plan would reveal, yet rocherster's print media continues to perseverate on only about the theater, as it has for five years without once really noticing it's actual acchilles heel.
With gas prices reaching worrisome levels, perhaps it is time to focus on the TRANSIT impacts of Ren Square , and what will happen to downtown's sustainability and desireability when pedestrians would have to face the exhast and dangers of so much bus traffic at such a key location
www.fixrensquare.org
andrew stainton said on Aug. 24, 2008 at 4:08pm
Achilles heel, further defined: Technically, buses heading southbound would not travel through main and clinton. The statement buses from four directions would travel (impossibly) through main and clinton reflects that eastbound buses would go through twice (according to some plans) and southbound buses would not.
The other major bottleneck will be st paul and main where there will be MANY buses, many of them turning. The circuitous route every bus will follow overall will waste driver time, fuel and add maintenance etc. How much will that slow a commute through rochester and at what yearly cost?
The issue that you raise of operating the bus station is just the first item on a very long list of expenses that won't add a singly useful passenger mile.
www.fixrensquare.org
Name Withheld said on Aug. 24, 2008 at 4:56pm
A couple of months ago I was heading north on Clinton. I had just gone through tthe Main St. intersection when the auto in front of me slowed down and then stopped. So did the cars in the other lanes. At first I was confused but then I could see that there were two teenage boys fighting right in the middle of the street. My first thought was terror as I realized that if one of them pulled out a gun I was well within firing range and could be hit by a stray bullet. My second thought was "And they want to put the bus station right here!" Roaming teens has long been a problem downtown. The decline in Midtown Plaza is in part attributable to the undesirable atmosphere created by groups of purposeless teen -- during school hours no less. Ren Square has been poorly conceived from the start and whether there is a theater there or not isn't going to make a difference.
Joanna said on Sep. 11, 2008 at 7:22am
When will the county learn that throwing gazillions of dollars into a bottomless well will not make it spout gold?
Joan said on Sep. 21, 2008 at 5:06pm
Cant even be safe going to train station from suburbs. Bus station and college students together? safety issues again due to people hanging around. I abandoned the city years ago, was resident for years. Just too dangerous now and not worth going to. Feel sad, but that is reality.
Jeff said on Sep. 26, 2008 at 1:50pm
Well Joan, the reality is the city is safer when it is a prosperous bustling city with MANY people on the streets. Results of many years of dis-investment in the city breeds the social ills and bad elements you talk to today. So yes, the city DOES need to try every angle it can to invest in ways that might be a catalyst for further private investments to spur. Abandoning the city and leaving it to rot creates even more problems for the REGION, not just the city. Where are you going to run when those same social ills start creeping up to your door step? If it hasn't happened already. It's best to be PROactive than REactive by running to the suburbs.
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