Brian Sharp

@SharpRoc

A 14-story tower with condominiums, three levels of restaurant, retail and commercial space and a park-like area that could be the site of festivals and other events round out the remaining, previously undisclosed proposal for Midtown's center parcel.

"We call it Celebrating Rochester, because that's what we're trying to do," said Patrick Dutton, who is partnering with developer Andy Gallina on the $30 million proposal.

The city next week will begin interviews with some or all of the four development teams that submitted proposals for Parcel 5. Other suggestions include a performing arts center, divvying the parcel up for smaller developers to build a series of retail and residential mid-rise buildings, or a minimalist proposal to keep the space largely green and construct a row of modular shops for retailers and entrepreneurs.

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Gallina and his development team scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning to discuss their proposal. He has called Parcel 5, "the most precious parcel in all the city," adding: "Let's not screw it up."

The site, or its potential development, has been controversial as initial talk focused on a potential slot parlor to be run by the Seneca Nation of Indians, as part of a combination casino/performing arts center proposal. Ultimately, the Senecas dropped the idea. The city has said the "highest and best use" would be a mixed-use project that could include retail and housing. In its request for proposals, the city set the sale price for Parcel 5 at $1 million, called for construction to begin Jan. 1, and said proposals should not expect municipal or state grants or subsidies.

Likely none of the proposals can meet all the city's demands. Job creation is key, said city spokesman James Smith, but as for the city wish list: "There is an opportunity to be flexible."

Gallina's proposal shows the tower rising on the northwest corner of the parcel, at East Main and Cortland streets, with an estimated 31 condos filling floors five and above. That would be surrounded by a three- or four-storey building extending east to Andrew Langston Way and south, covering roughly half the parcel. There would be pedestrian access through the middle of the structure, allowing for retail on either side and a view from Main Street back to the park area. The park space would adjoin existing city green space, allowing the interior of the former Midtown site to be largely open.

Plans also call for a two-level, underground parking garage with 175 spaces.

The park was the starting point of the design, Dutton said. And the proposal highlights its potential, expecting it could become "the newest downtown success story" that could attract the attention of planners nationwide.

Playing off the prominence that Parcel 5 gained with the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival and First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival, the group's proposal states that they would hope to remain a key venue for both events, while trying to attract others including wine, beer and food festivals. Basketball tournaments and fitness activities, urban camping outings with youth groups, food truck rodeos, holiday events and a farmers market are among the other ideas they plan to schedule with an active marketing team.

Parking is one of the key components Gallina mentions when talking about the proposal—along with green space—and the need to jump-start retail in the center city and to address the lack of homeownership options in a downtown dominated by apartments.

"Without parking, that parcel will sit there," he said, adding that the challenge is one shared by adjacent properties; including his own.

Gallina owns both One East Avenue, which is adjacent Parcel 5, and The Metropolitan (formerly Chase Tower). He also notes that Total Sports Experience in East Rochester is one of his projects, explaining the development team has experience in marketing and scheduling an event space.

The team has collected letters of support from prominent downtown event and development officials and registered the web address parcel5.com, aiming to garner public support by putting their plans online. If selected to develop Parcel 5, Gallina envisions a construction start in July 2017, after the jazz festival, with the project to be completed in January 2019. He expects the project to be privately financed.

BDSHARP@Gannett.com