ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Construction on the first phase of High Falls State Park is set to begin this fall, transforming the city’s High Falls Terrace Park into a state-run facility with improved views of the falls.
News10NBC was at a public info session for the future park, where Vincent Esposito with Empire State Development shared new plans for the project.
Going beyond park boundaries
“We certainly hope and expect that this is going to have benefits beyond just the park itself. I mean, just claiming that gorge, cleaning it up and protecting it for the public for years to come is an incredibly transformational thing,” Esposito said.
The first phase will take a year to complete. The park will open in stages first starting south of the Pont de Rennes Bridge.
“We’ll be opening the park in stages, in phases, south to north, over the coming years. And so people will get to enjoy different aspects of the gorge. Like I said, they haven’t been able to access in well over 100 years,” Esposito said.
Neighbor reactions
Neighbors are excited about what the park could do for Rochester and its residents. Sisters Deb and Lisa Barr live in the 19th Ward and are thrilled to be able to walk to a state park.
“It’s something that the downtown area is really needed. And, like, in neighborhoods that are close to the downtown,” Deb Barr said.
“I think it’s wonderful that they’re taking into account, you know, what the community would like them to remember about this area,” Lisa Barr said.
Accessibility for all
Luticha André Doucette, who uses a wheelchair and provided input on the design, is excited to have a park accessible to her. She said the state addressed her concerns about accessibility.
“I think they’ve done a really good job of some of the concerns that I had. Like, there’s a ramp that’s not really accessible. Now, [we’re] making sure those elevations are a lot easier for people with mobility issues. Like myself, I use a manual wheelchair full time, but there’s people with walkers. You know, we want grandma to be able to enjoy this as much as, you know, the young ones,” Doucette said.
Construction is set to start this fall.
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