Rochester Downtown Development Corporation

DRIVE ECONOMIC VITALITY IN DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER THROUGH INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION.

MANAGE AND OPERATE THE COMMISSARY. AT THE START OF 2021, THE COMMISSARY WAS JUST THREE MONTHS INTO OPERATIONS AS A SHARED KITCHEN FACILITY OFFERING INCUBATION SERVICES TO EARLY STAGE FOOD ENTREPRENEURS. 2021 WAS DEDICATED TO SEVERAL KEY INITIATIVES 1) RECRUITING, ONBOARDING, AND SUPPORTING OUR FIRST ENTREPRENEURS OPERATING IN THE COMMISSARY; 2) DEVELOPMENT OF OUR STAFF'S ROLES, OPERATING PROTOCOL, AND MANAGEMENT OF FACILITY; 3) FUNDRAISING TO SUSTAIN OPERATIONS; 4) CLOSEOUT OF CONSTRUCTION RELATED GRANTS; 4) MANAGEMENT OF INSURANCE POLICIES TO REBUILD STORAGE ROOM; 5) CREATION OF INCUBATION SERVICES.THIS PROGRAM IS PRIMARILY SUPPORTED BY CONTRIBUTIONS.

DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT. SECURED $3.98 MILLION IN FUNDING OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO RECAST THE STRUCTURE FOR DOWNTOWN AND RIVERFRONT MANAGEMENT MOVING INTO THE FUTURE. IN ADDITION TO RDDC FUNDING, $2.98 MILLION FROM ROC THE RIVERWAY AND $1 MILLION FROM ROC2025 ARE PROVIDING A MULTI-YEAR RUNWAY TO ESTABLISH A NEW AND MODERN MECHANISM FOR DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT - A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (BID). ROCHESTER IS IN A MINORITY OF AMERICAN DOWNTOWNS NOT MANAGED USING THIS LEGAL STRUCTURE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)IN 2021, RDDC CREATED THE ROCHESTER DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP USING A DORMANT CORPORATE SHELL THAT ONCE HOUSED THE DOWNTOWN SPECIAL SERVICES, INC. CORPORATION, WHICH RDDC RAN FROM 1994 THROUGH 2015. THE GRANT FUNDING AGREEMENTS WERE DEVELOPED, NEGOTIATED AND SIGNED WITH EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT AND ROC2025. THE ROCHESTER DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP HELD ITS FIRST BOARD MEETING IN DECEMBER OF 2021, AND THE FORMAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN RDP AND RDDC WAS DRAFTED IN LATE 2021 (AND SIGNED IN EARLY 2022). AS RDP HAS NO STAFF, IT HAS CONTRACTED WITH RDDC TO PROVIDE ALL NECESSARY STAFF SUPPORT FOR ITS CORPORATE MANAGEMENT AND ALL PROGRAMMING. THIS ARRANGEMENT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE BID IS FORMED AND OPERATING.THIS PROGRAM IS PRIMARILY SUPPORTED BY CONTRIBUTIONS.

EVENTS. RDDC BEGAN WORKING WITH TWO KINDS OF EVENTS: (1) THE BUSINESS-RELATED EVENTS IN ITS LONG-RUNNING ECONOMIC GROWTH SERIES; AND (2) PLANNING AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR A NEW KIND OF EVENT, TO BE HELD OUTDOORS, FREE TO THE PUBLIC, AND FUNDED BY GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIP DOLLARS. RDDC HELD FOUR MAJOR ECONOMIC GROWTH SERIES EVENTS IN 2021: (1) "REBOOTING THE REGIONAL ECONOMY", HELD VIRTUALLY ON MARCH 17TH; (2) "DOWNTOWN RISING 2021", HELD VIRTUALLY ON MAY 28TH; (3) "THE STATE OF ROCHESTER'S ECONOMY", HELD IN PERSON ON OCTOBER 13TH; AND (4) "VISION ~ FUTURE", HELD IN PERSON ON DECEMBER 8TH. AS ALL OF THE VIRTUAL EVENTS WERE FREE, EVENT REVENUE AND EXPENSE WERE BOTH DOWN FROM A TYPICAL YEAR PRIOR TO COVID. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)RDDC BEGAN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF ROCHESTER AND BELLA EVENTS GROUP TO CRAFT NEW EVENTS FOR 2022, AND THAT PROCESS BEGAN IN LATE 2021. UNLIKE RDDC'S ECONOMIC GROWTH SERIES, THESE EVENTS WILL ALL BE OUTDOORS, FREE, AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.