Anthony Costello and Son Development LLC is almost ready to present its draft environmental impact statement for its proposed CityGate, a mixed-use urban development project.
Where it stands
The issue
The building of a 68-acre self-contained community called CityGate, mostly in the city of Rochester, with 14 acres in the town of Brighton. Anthony J. Costello and Son Development LLC is proposing to build what would be Rochester’s largest housing development ever at Westfall and East Henrietta roads, including 1,104 residential units in a mix of apartments, single-family homes and townhouses in their own neighborhood with 302,390 square feet of retail space, offering amenities such as a grocery store and restaurants. All would be within walking distance and close to nearby employers like Monroe Community College, the University of Rochester or Paychex, to which residents could walk or bus. There would also be a 350-room hotel, plus 193,200 square feet of office space. Development would be done in phases, based on market demand. Brett Costello, president of the development company, said construction would take place over several years. He hopes to start next year or so, but said it will be driven by the economy.
What’s happened?
Costello said the company is currently in the middle of getting approvals for its draft environmental impact statement. As a long-time member of Congress for the New Urbanism, which is establishing new standards for green design at the neighborhood scale, Costello has been studying urban design that incorporates green elements, such as having walkable communities and reducing car dependency. “It’s really people that understand that mix of uses is a very responsible and sustainable way of urban development,” he said. “ I think to be competitive these days, you really have got to have a responsibility to the environment and energy costs.” More than half the land has been purchased from Monroe County. The site was originally the Monroe County Tuberculosis Sanitarium, the nine buildings of which were later converted to office space and other uses by the county, which began moving out in 1996.
What’s next
Developing the final concept to present to Rochester and Brighton officials. The officials will then review plans, look at all the involved agencies and comments, and ask questions before deciding whether or not to issue a final environmental impact statement. Costello, who expects to submit his plans to the city within the next couple of weeks, said the market will determine the final specific product using the existing ideas and concepts. There will also be numerous public meetings and hearings. Zoning changes are needed in both municipalities to allow the mix of commercial and residential use. Brighton, where the final phases of the project would likely be built several years down the road, has incentive zoning, which allows exceptions in exchange for amenities. “Our incentive is a tremendous quality of life and property value enhancement for the community,” Costello said. “The project should play an important role going forward for the success of our community in the different times ahead.”
