Storefronts along West Main Street in Rochester are getting a refresh, part of a $10 million revitalization effort.
Among those slated for an upgrade are Morse Lumber and Busy Bee Restaurant. Grant funds also will help repair and reopen shuttered buildings along the corridor between Genesee Street and South Plymouth Avenue, including prepping the space immediately to the west of Busy Bee for a future café.
A total of 22 projects have been awarded grants ranging from $25,000 and $250,000 to cover up to 90% of eligible expenses. Funding for the project comes from New York state and the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation.
"This investment reflects what’s possible when government, philanthropy, businesses, and community organizations come together around a shared vision," Mayor Malik Evans said in a statement.
Evans joined others for a ceremonial groundbreaking on Wednesday outside Rochester Jewels, a nonprofit mentoring organization at 174-178 W. Main St. serving school-aged girls. That building is getting roof and window repairs. Grants also can be used for machinery and equipment, and improvements to public spaces. There are developing plans for public art and amenities to be added to the area, which officials said could leverage additional funding.
Busy Bee Restaurant, which has been downtown since the 1930s, and at its 124 W. Main St. location since the 1980s, will celebrate its grand re-opening on Monday. The building is slated to get a refreshed storefront and awning, as well as other work on the masonry, windows and drainage, while the upper floors are prepped for housing. Morse Lumber will see similar facade, siding and window improvements, pressure washing, painting and new signage, officials said.
