The newly approved state budget includes substantial funding to tear down a longstanding eyesore on Elmwood Avenue at the border of the city of Rochester and the town of Brighton.
During a Tuesday visit to Rochester, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the $20 million to pay for the demolition of the Terrence Building, a vacant, asbestos-laden 17-story tower that formerly served as a state psychiatric hospital. She said the work would clear the way for almost 500 affordable homes.
"I want this to happen," Hochul said after delivering remarks about the new budget to a crowd at Monroe Community College's downtown campus. "This is critically important."
The Terrance Building has stood vacant since it closed in 1995. Over the years several redevelopment proposals have been floated, but none have come to fruition.
The last came in 2023-24 from Whitestone Development Partners. That multi-phase plan totaled 522 housing units divided between one-story duplex rentals and three apartment buildings ranging in size from 80 to 320 units. There also were designs for two commercial buildings, a community building with an outdoor pool and a three-story hotel project led by developer Bob Morgan. Demolition of the Terrance Building was estimated at $15 million to $20 million, at the time, and expected to take two years to complete.
Mayor Malik Evans said there are developers interested in the property, but that nothing is going to happen unless the building is knocked down. The plan, he added, is to create a shovel-ready site.
"This is a big deal," Evans said. "The governor has really delivered something that is going to be transformational for the southeast section of Rochester, but more importantly, for housing. This is going to add more affordable housing units across Monroe County and the city of Rochester. It's going to be very great for residents."
Evans said the timeline for the demolition will depend on when "the dollars come in."
