Brian Sharp

@SharpRoc

The city is on track to recommend a slate of development projects for sections of the reclaimed Inner Loop at the end of the month, with takers for all five of the parcels offered and some developers offering ideas for more than one.

City leaders spent last week interviewing the project teams, which include a joint proposal from The Strong National Museum of Play along with Indus Hospitality Group — a hotel and restaurant developer — and Konar Properties, which deals in residential, retail and commercial development. Other teams include DHD Ventures, Morgan-Christa and Home Leasing, the latter of whom is developing Charlotte Square apartments and townhouses in the adjacent East End.

"I'm excited about the proposals that we received," Mayor Lovely Warren said, using words like "great" and "thoughtful" to describe the proposals.

The sunken highway has been filled in, and is being replaced with an at-grade boulevard. The $22 million project, to be completed at the end of next year, also creates a stretch of shovel-ready property between Monroe Avenue and East Main Street. The city divided the strip into five parcels totaling roughly 5.5 acres, and sought development proposals earlier this year.

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What the city is calling the Inner Loop East Project is one of several significant downtown construction projects in the works, part of the $857 million in development currently in the pipeline and being tracked by the Rochester Downtown Development Corp. Negotiations continue for a mixed-use development on the southwest corner of Midtown. The lone proposal came from Buckingham Properties, led by developer Ken Glazer — whose other projects include the adjacent Tower280, Xerox and Legacy (formerly Bausch+Lomb) towers. Orientation of the mid-rise is the issue, said Baye Muhammad, the city's commissioner of neighborhood and business development.

Glazer did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. He also is working on redevelopment of Alexander Park, which is separated from downtown by the Inner Loop. Assisting in that project is Robert Morgan of Morgan Management, which teamed up with Christa on an Inner Loop proposal.

Developers have declined comment, as the city prohibits them from publicly discussing their proposals during the selection process. Among the Inner Loop design guidelines set by the city are that proposals should incorporate open/green space, "connect to and reinforce adjacent neighborhoods" and, notably, the "future expansion of Strong Museum of Play."

"Strong does want to expand, which I think is great. It's one of the greatest museums we have around here," said Moira Lemperle, president of the Monroe Avenue Merchants Association.

Museums officials met with neighbors some months back but did not share details of their plan. Lemperle said she urged museum president and CEO G. Rollie Adams to build a parking garage. As for the other developments, she said she hoped green space did not just include nice gardens, but plantings that deal with rainwater runoff. Housing is great, but she hopes the development isn't just a row of apartments. And she hopes whatever is proposed, has a unique design.

What role neighbors will have in the selection process was not immediately clear.

BDSHARP@Gannett.com