City of Rochester Rundel Memorial Library North Terrace Improvement

Constructed in 1937, the original north terrace of the Rundel Memorial Library was selected for renovation as part of the City of Rochester’s ROC the Riverway program, a collection of more than two dozen transformational projects along the Genesee River focused on enabling the City to better leverage and celebrate the value of its riverfront.

The Rundel Memorial Library is a nationally registered historic building overlooking the Genesee River and constructed over the Johnson and Seymour Raceway and the old Erie Canal bed, later repurposed as a subway tunnel. The library’s elevated north terrace, located at the corner of East Broad Street and South Avenue, exhibited severe structural deterioration due to its advanced age and was closed to the public in 2017 pending repairs. The north terrace improvements are part of a multi-year development project to overhaul the structure of the library building and terraces.

This project involved reconstructing the terrace, structural beams, slabs, columns, and foundations to restore and modernize the public space and extend the life of the historic library. The existing steel framing and a multi-layer concrete deck were removed and replaced with new foundations and concrete framing that extends 25 feet below the surface to bedrock. The structural concrete slab was topped by layers of waterproofing, a drainage mat, geofoam, a crushed stone sub-base, and a concrete wearing surface.

This project also included four public art installations that the City and the Rochester Public Library commissioned from Colorado-based Chevo Studios. The artwork honors the City’s legacy of waterpower, manufacturing, transportation, and innovation inspired by the Genesee River, the Erie Canal, and the industry that built Rochester.

Interpretive features in the terrace surface represent the old Canal bed and the paths of the former subway tunnel that rests beneath the terrace. Additional amenities include an outdoor riverfront amphitheater, an overlook of the Genesee River, outdoor seating and landscaping, a gateway sculpture installation, a lighted serpentine runnel that mimics the Genesee River, and an interactive water feature.

This $9.8 million project transformed the terrace into a vibrant public space that celebrates the history of the Rundel Library and the Erie Canal. Furthermore, the project provides enhanced outdoor public space for gathering and library programming and improves visibility and public access to the City’s riverfront area.