CityGate's new owners say they hope to start construction next year on a hotel and a Topgolf entertainment center.
The retail complex at Westfall and East Henrietta Road is best known as the home of Costco and REI, but there are plans for much more.
Developers are working to get approvals from the city of Rochester and town of Brighton for the next steps.
“We're looking to move forward as fast as we can,” said Matt Lester, manager of Streamline, which bought CityGate last September.
The hotel would be near REI, overlooking the Erie Canal. There are 30 undeveloped city acres on the south end of the property. Topgolf would take 19 acres east of Costco, just over the border in Brighton.
Topgolf is more of an entertainment center than straight-up golf venue, offering interactive golf-related games for all ages and skill levels, along with food and drink.
“We're hopeful to move swiftly through (the approval) process,” Lester said. "If everything works out, then we would love to have (Topgolf) open in ‘24.”
Brighton town Supervisor Bill Moehle called that timetable "aggressive." The project came in this week as an incentive zoning application, meaning the developers would likely need to make other investments in town amenities. Whole Foods, for example, built two miles of the Auburn Trail.
"We're at the very early stages of the project," Moehle said. "But at this point it's certainly an exciting opportunity for the community
Plan for developing the remainder of CityGate have shifted from apartments to retail and commercial. There also is talk of a sit-down restaurant, a brewery and other shops focused along the Erie Canal.
