Our April Update

Spring has sprung and we are primed to make 2025 our most impactful year yet! In fact, not only have we already cleared 270 pounds of litter downtown, we've also mapped out an entire summer's worth of beautification projects.

🌻 This includes planting flowers in more tree wells than ever before, as well as tripling the number of flower planters we will place and maintain. We'll be restoring and painting more benches too!

One of our most ambitious projects, though, will be the creation of a brand-new community garden at the entrance to St. Joseph's Park, which will be commemorated in honor of neighborhood activist Midge Thomas' 99th birthday!

🙏 Special thanks to The Garden Factory for their generous support of this project. If you'd like to help make this garden a reality, we invite you to check this out.

This summer we are creating a new Community Garden in honor of Midge Thomas' 99th birthday

The last few months have been highlighted by the engagement of many student volunteers in our mission. Over the winter, members of a Boy Scout troop built us three sturdy flower planters; something always on our wish list. In March, students from Fairport and Greece participated in a cold, but very successful, cleanup effort. And in early May, the Mercy flag football team will be "tackling" a challenging beautification project.

We are thrilled to see this interest and involvement from a new generation of downtown champions. A clean, beautiful and vibrant downtown truly matters, and it is wonderful to know this passion radiates beyond the Inner Loop!

Parker, Andrea & Natalie Reynolds from Fairport, and Nick Langdon from Greece helped clean up St. Joseph's Park & Church

We're also proud to share that we continue to forge new partnerships for the betterment of downtown. One example is a collaboration with the City and Reconnect Rochester to revitalize the Greyhound/FLIX bus stop at Pleasant Street to provide a cleaner, safer and more dignified experience for riders.

Another example is a joint-effort with The Landmark Society to increase access to one of downtown's crown jewels, St. Joseph's Park. Starting Monday, April 28th, the church ruins will be open to the public during weekday business hours for the first time in 6 years! So be sure to make a visit, or even bring a lunch to enjoy inside the serene, open-air walls of this magnificent landmark.

We're also working closely with downtown businesses and property owners to help enhance their "curb appeal" by assisting with litter control and micro-landscaping. These types of win-win relationships are the foundation of our mission. If YOU represent a location that could benefit from the Downtown ROCs treatment, please feel free to drop us a line 😎

St Joseph's Church is now open to the public weekdays and available for events

And speaking of winning partnerships, we'd be remiss not to express our appreciation for the City of Rochester's Department of Environmental Services. Our every interaction with this team is positive and encouraging, and their responsiveness matches our sense of urgency... which is immensely appreciated.

We also want to express our gratitude for being one of the 47 grassroots organizations included in the inaugural City of Rochester Neighbors in Action (NIA) grant awards, a community-building program in partnership with the Rochester Area Community Foundation and ESL Federal Credit Union. This grant will allow us to significantly expand our efforts this year and we are grateful for the support.

Paul DeMott and Will Whalen from Boy Scout Troop 207 made 3 planters for downtown

Well that's enough for now. Time to get back at it!

If you enjoy these updates, please share this email with someone else you know who cares about downtown.

Thank you so much for your support. And remember... every day is an opportunity to make our city just a little bit better.

- Mike and Tina Gilbert

Please consider becoming a Downtown ROCstar by supporting our efforts with a tax-deductible gift. Every dollar is invested directly into placemaking projects that enhance our center city.