Andreatta: Photonics dispute is embarrassing

This is an open letter to Assemblyman Joseph Morelle, University of Rochester President Joel Seligman, Wegmans CEO Danny Wegman and Rochester Business Alliance President Robert Duffy:

Dear Masters of the Universe,

We on Earth realize that you're surrounded by aides who tell you what you want to hear, but we implore you now to heed the people's advice with regard to the ongoing dispute over the location of the proposed Photonics center in Rochester.

You're embarrassing yourselves, gentlemen. Worse, you're embarrassing us. Your continued squabbling in this matter makes you, and us, look foolish and undermines public confidence in whether this project will ever become reality.

Right now, most Earthlings are betting against it, although we hold out hope because we badly want to see Rochester rise again and believe that a photonics center can help.

We're betting against it, though, because your indecision makes private investors squeamish about sinking any money into the project, and it's going to be private investment that carries this thing into the future.

Who in their right mind would invest in a project whose principal players can't get on the same page?

Shortly after news broke in late July that the federal government and the state, led by SUNY Polytechnic Institute, would invest a combined $360 million into making Rochester a hub of photonics innovation, Master Seligman stated that the center should be headquartered in the Sibley building on Main Street.

Master Seligman, whose university has equal partnership with SUNY Poly in the center, reasoned that revitalizing Rochester starts with revitalizing Main Street.

Then last week, business leaders calling themselves the Rochester Business Leaders Photonics Working Group, which included Master Wegman, released a statement urging the center be housed at the former Bausch + Lomb building downtown.

That really got under Master Seligman's skin because not two days later, he issued a joint statement with Master Wegman and Master Morelle that they "continue to believe" the Sibley building is the best choice.

Master Duffy, who represents all businesses but can't ignore the weight of the region's largest employer in the University of Rochester, was caught in the middle.

He tried to smooth everything over by saying the B+L building would be ideal and that he was confident Master Seligman would come around because downtown still stood to benefit.

After all, the B+L building is downtown. In fact, it's one block from the Sibley building. Rochester Red Wings hit baseballs farther than that.

But Master Duffy was proven wrong Monday after Michael Liehr, an executive at SUNY Poly and the designated CEO of the photonics center, issued a statement declaring the B+L building as the center's new home.

When that happened, Masters Seligman, Wegman and Morelle asserted their authority by issuing a dueling statement that thanked Liehr for his "recommendation."

Their statement concluded: "The Rochester leadership, in conjunction with Governor Cuomo, will make the final decision on where to locate the appropriate Photonics facilities in our community."

Rochester leadership? Where's that? What's that?

Masters, it's your job to lead. So get yourselves together and lead.

We realize we gripe a lot about our masters doing all their business behind closed doors. But in this case, you really need to get a room and hash this thing out.

If you don't, you'll just continue to embarrass yourselves and us and jeopardize whatever future Rochester may have in photonics.

There are plenty of empty rooms in the Sibley and Bausch + Lomb buildings. Find one, lock the door, and don't come out until you have a collective voice on this matter.

Master Wegman can provide the catering.

Sincerely,

Earthlings