First hour: What will be the future of the Cadillac Hotel?
Second hour: Upstate transit leaders call for more funding, more options
What will be the future of the Cadillac Hotel? The historic building in downtown Rochester was acquired by developer DHD Ventures in October, but the company has yet to release plans detailing the property’s future. Many people are wondering what will happen to members of Rochester’s homeless population who are often housed there when shelters run out of available beds. The living conditions in the hotel have been criticized by local shelter leaders, and the county stopped housing people there in 2016 because it didn’t meet standards. These issues were the focus of a recent piece in Open Mic Roc. We’ll talk about what the Open Mic team learned while reporting on the Cadillac, and we’ll talk about how local homeless families could be impacted by changes with the hotel. Our guests:
- Vanessa Cheeks, reporter for Open Mic Roc
- Laurie Jones-Prizel, executive director of Dimitri House
- Patrick Krebbeks, former resident of the Cadillac Hotel
- Sister Grace Miller, founder of the House of Mercy
Then in our second hour, leaders in Upstate New York say they need more attention – and more funding – to bolster transit options. For most cities that are not New York City, that means bus lines. RTS chief Bill Carpenter says the money has remained steady, but the needs have increased, and Rochesterians want better options. So what could RTS do with a big increase in funding? What should they do? And what about other cities that are considering not just buses, but other ideas? Our guests will discuss it:
- Bill Carpenter, chief executive officer of Rochester's Regional Transit Service and president of the New York State Public Transit Association
- Jason Partyka, chair of the Bus Innovation Committee for Reconnect Rochester
- Seth Triggs, vice president for Citizens for Regional Transit
- Deborah Hundley, president of Providence Services of Syracuse Inc.
