A ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday marked the official beginning of a renovation that will change the face of the downtown Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
The $13 million project includes an addition on the Main Street side of the building that will add smaller, modern event space in a glassed-in area, and an electronic display panel.
“We are right along the river here, in the center of our city,” said City Council President Miguel Meléndez. “We have a hotel across the street that we're hoping will also get renovated, and this is the hub for economic activity for downtown Rochester. We must continue to invest here.”
Work already has begun and should be completed in 2026.
There are other convention center projects in the pipeline, including extensive interior improvements and a terrace project and addition estimated to cost twice as much as this one. Those have yet to be fully funded. New York state kicked in $5 million for this project.
“There's going to be more requests (for state aid),” said Meléndez, the city’s representative on the convention center board.
The facility is 40 years old and has largely rebounded from the pandemic years that saw revenues plummet from $10.6 million in 2019, down to $4.1 million in 2021. But while taking in $10 million last year, net income is half what it used to be despite a significantly higher city subsidy. The center manages the South Avenue parking garage, where revenues have fallen as work-from-home options emptied nearby offices. And there are other challenges, starting with what’s happening with the vacant hotel across the street.
“One of the biggest issues at the convention center is honestly hotel rooms, and having enough," Meléndez said, noting some conventions have had to book up 10 hotels for attendees.
Plans to redevelop the former Riverside Hotel across the street show a reduction in the number of rooms, as some of the building gets converted to housing. The nearby Holiday Inn on State Street also is working through renovations and other issues that have limited usage.
“I’m concerned about some longer-term conventions and whether or not they would stay,” Meléndez said.
The current renovation and expansion aims to make the property more marketable.
“We work in a very, very competitive market, not only in New York State, but in the region and outside of New York and across the country,” said James Brown, executive director for the convention center. “So things like the addition to Main Street, the restrooms, all are things that meeting planners are looking for today. Modernization is vital.”
