Our May Update

Apparently, in Rochester April showers bring May... showers. [sigh]

But the wet weather didn't stop us from getting out to a fast start with our cleanup and beautification efforts downtown.

🌻 One of our first projects was a pretty cool collaboration that transformed a little pocket of Lawn Street into a beautiful flower garden. We came across this location by chance, and after sending the "before" picture to the folks at Rochester District Heating Cooperative, they agreed that this area outside their office could use some serious TLC.

So the folks at RDH built a new border, and we did the rest! The result was... magnifique 👌🏻

A makeover on Lawn Street!

🏈 Another great collaboration this month was with the Our Lady of Mercy flag football team, who came out in force to tackle St. Joseph's Park. These gridiron girls picked up trash, raked leaves, and planted over 150 pansies along the interior walls of the St. Joseph's Church ruins.

Special thanks to The Garden Factory for donating the flowers for this awesome project. If you haven't been to St. Joseph's Church this Spring, make a point to stop by; It's now open most weekdays from 8-4, and will be hosting FREE performances by the Eastman School of Music at noon on Wednesdays in June and July!

(BTW, it's a pretty great wedding venue)

Thank you to the Mercy flag football team

We'll spare you the photos (you're welcome), but it's also worth noting that we cleared an additional 175 pounds of litter in May. If there can be good news on a topic like this, however, it is that a substantial percentage of the litter this Spring has been a function of the many construction projects going on all over downtown.

🌳 We're also increasing the number of tree wells we're planting flowers in. This is enhanced by the fact that almost all these tree wells now have TREES in them! Over the past 3 years, we've helped identify and advocate for replacement trees in over 20 locations, which the City's Forestry Division has admirably accommodated.

Downtown is getting ever greener, and we're doing our best to play a part in that effort. In fact, we've been told that planting flowers around new trees is one of the best ways to help them flourish, as the regular watering is crucial to their early success. Who knew?!

This newly planted tree got some company

On Memorial Day, we planted and placed four new potters just outside the Salvation Army. That spot is especially meaningful since it is also the location of a commemorative bench installed last year in honor of Ruby Harvey.

Several more planters are being prepared for placement over the next couple of weeks, which will even include some "surprise" flower pots outside small retailers on Main Street 😎.

In addition, we're also actively seeking partnerships with downtown businesses and property owners to help enhance their "curb appeal". Win-win relationships are the foundation of our mission, and (importantly) the key to our long-term sustainability. If YOU represent a location that could benefit from the Downtown ROCs treatment, please drop us a line.

4 new potters along Liberty Pole Way

Well, that's it for now. We've got some more flowers to plant!

If you enjoy this once-monthly update, please share it with someone else who cares about downtown.

And remember... every day is an opportunity to make our city just a little bit better.

- Mike and Tina Gilbert

Our very first project in 2019 was advocating for this tree at Andrews & Liberty Pole. We've been planting flowers here every year since!

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.

Our April Update