Genesee Valley Park in Rochester, NY was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1890, and it remains a well-used and defining community landscape. An original aspect of the park’s design is a woodland buffer that runs from Elmwood Avenue to the Erie Canal next to the University of Rochester.
Genesee Valley Park is publicly owned by the City of Rochester, but this stretch of woodland is privately owned by the University. This intact, mature woodland buffer is integral to the scenic quality of the park. Olmsted’s design integrity is under threat by a proposal to clear over an acre and a half to build a warehouse plus another .6-acre paved loading area. The University’s project would result in an irremediable loss of scenic quality from key public viewpoints. If this current proposal does not proceed, the site remains zoned for, and subject to development by the university.
Naturalistic designed landscapes like this one are often less valued than their manicured counterparts, leaving them vulnerable to a continuous threat of incremental loss. This Olmsted bicentennial year provides an opportunity to articulate a preservation ethic regarding under-valued historic landscapes, and the League will work with local stakeholders to advocate for proper stewardship of this important piece of Rochester’s historic park system.
The Preservation League of New York State has included the Genesee Valley Park on the 2022-2023 Seven to Save list. This listing follows an earlier inclusion of the Olmsted-designed pedestrian bridges of Genesee Valley Park on the 2014 Seven to Save list. The list highlights New York’s most endangered historic sites and the League offers listed places wider visibility, assistance with advocacy, and technical services.
For more information about the Seven to Save program and this year’s list, click here.
Photo of Genesee Valley Park drive courtesy Monroe County Parks.
The University of Rochester should sacrifice one of its many parking lots to build their warehouse and encourage employees to carpool, bike or use public transportation to get to work. Cutting down trees in a time of climate emergency is not a proper course of action. Climate change needs to become a part of every decision we make
GOOD point. My property, WHERE I LIVE, is adjacent to the park. That was a factor in my late husband’s and my decision to buy that particular house and lot. I fervently hope RIT can be STOPPED from setting a DANGEROUS ANTI-Environmental precedent
It is the U of R, not RIT, that is proposing this.
OOPS! That was a typo on my part. I MEANT U of R.
OOPS! I meant U of R.
(Technical Difficulties. UGH.)
Maybe U of R should lose their tax exempt status if they are going to destroy green space