Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association
  • Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association (UMNA)
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      • Ice Skating On Lake Riley In Cobbs Hill Park
      • Thousands Of Bodies Buried In Upper Monroe! Where Are They?
      • The R&ERR Brought Rapid Growth To Upper Monroe
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    • Help create a friendlier neighborhood
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    • Help engage on bigger issues that impact our neighborhood
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    • #ShareTheCare of our community gardens
    • Help build UMNA's organizational capacity
  • 📣Hot Topics
    • UMNA Work Plans & Budgets
      • 2025 UMNA Work Plan
      • 2025 UMNA Budget
      • Multi-year Monroe Avenue Revitalization Plan
    • Monroe Avenue Revitalization Coalition (MARC)
      • Monroe Avenue Community Mobilization
      • Homelessness, poverty & vagrancy along the Monroe Avenue Corridor
      • Commercial Vacancies at Monroe Avenue & South Goodman Street
    • Public Safety Task Force
      • List of Recent Incidents
        • Vehicle Vandalism
        • Conflicts associated with vagrant individuals
        • Conflicts associated with a group of juveniles
    • Digital billboards proposed near Upper Monroe & Cobbs Hill on Rt. 490
    • Conversion to LED Streetlights
    • Landmark Status For All Of Cobbs Hill Park
      • The Backstory: Two Pavilions, Two Standards
      • What About A Master Plan for Cobbs Hill Park?
    • Code Compliance "High Priority" Cases
      • Case: Vacant Properties on Crosman Terrace
      • Case: Parking Lot - Code Compliance & Maintenance
    • Zoning Alignment Project (ZAP)
      • ZAP Community Engagement Through January, 2024
      • ZAP Final Phase
    • Care Of Our Green Streetscape
    • Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)
      • 297 Rosedale Street | Variance Application | Public Hearing May 22, 2025
    • Cobbs Hill Village Redevelopment
    • Invasive Species & Pests
    • Road Related Construction or Redesign Projects
      • PROJECT: 2025 Preventative Maintenance Project (Culver/University)
  • 🗓️Events & Meetings
    • Thursday, May 15th | Bird Walk In The Grove
    • Sunday, May 18 | Plant Exchange + Lemonade Social
    • Saturday, June 14th | Lady Bug Day
    • Online Calendar Link
    • 🗓️Past
      • 2025
        • 2025 May 3: CLEAN & PREEN
        • 2025 March 16th: UMNA Annual Meeting
        • 2025 February 5: Security & Public Safety | MARC ACTION TEAM
        • 2025 February 3: Community Forum on Vehicle Vandalism/Theft, Homelessness & Other Concerns
        • 2025 February 3: Economic Development | MARC ACTION TEAM
        • 2025 January 28: Beautification & Livability | MARC ACTION TEAM
        • 2025 January 25 | Discussion: Conversion to LED Streetlights
      • 2024
        • 2024 December 2nd | Help Reboot Monroe Avenue
        • 2024 November 30th: Small Business Saturday
        • 2024 November 13: UMNA General Meeting
        • 2024 November 10th: Monroe Branch Library 110th Anniversary Celebration
        • 2024 October 29: Results of the Monroe Avenue Revitalization Community Input Survey
        • 2024 October 19: Plant Exchange + Cider Social
        • 2024 October 14: Sunrise Ceremony | Indigenous Peoples Day
        • 2024 October 1: 2025 Preventative Maintenance Project Public Meeting #2
        • 2024 September 7th: Discussion of Public Safety in the Pinnacle Rd Area
        • 2024 September 5th: Exploring The Architectural Heritage of Upper Monroe
        • 2024 August 31st: Vacant Properties on Crosman Terrace
        • 2024 August 29: Guided Walk Through Washington Grove
        • 2024 August 21: A discussion about bringing "Garden Walk" to Upper Monroe
        • 2024 August 20: Informal UMNA leaders conversation at TRATA
        • 2024 August 14: Help tidy up Monroe Avenue with Walking For Rochester
        • 2024 June 27: Ladybug Day
        • 2024 June 24: Informal UMNA leaders conversation at Bar Bad Ending
        • 2024 June 19 & 22: Invasive Plant Removal on Pinnacle Hill
        • 2024 June 20: Monroe Avenue Community Input Launch Party
        • 2024 June 12: UMNA General Meeting
        • 2024 May 23: Plant Exchange + Lemonade Social
        • 2024 May 21: Informal UMNA leaders conversation at Bar Bad Ending
        • 2024 May 11: Restore The Children's Garden
        • 2024 May 4: Clean & Preen | City of Rochester Clean Sweep Program
        • 2024 April 25: Walking Tour of Washington Grove
        • 2024 April 23: Informal UMNA leaders conversation at TRATA
        • 2024 April 16: 2025 Preventative Maintenance Project Public Meeting #1
        • 2024 March 30: Tidy Up Monroe Ave For Eclipse Visitors
        • 2024 March 23: UMNA Annual Meeting
        • 2024 February 13: Alternatives to a downtown Business Improvement District
        • 2024 January 13: Special Meeting regarding the Zoning Alignment Project
      • 2023
        • 2023 November 14th: General Meeting
        • 2023 October, 27th: "Thousands Of Bodies Buried In Upper Monroe! Where Are They?"
        • 2023 September 10th: Monroe Avenue Clean-up with Walking For Rochester
        • 2023 September 7th: Guided Walk Through Washington Grove
        • 2023 August 31st: "Architecture In The Wild: Exploring Upper Monroe"
        • 2023 August 19th: #UMNAsocial at Cobbs Hill Park
        • 2023 August 3rd: #UMNAsocial at TRATA
        • 2023 July 30th: Monroe Avenue Clean-up with Walking For Rochester
        • 2023 June 15th: Guided Walk Through Washington Grove
        • 2023 June 6th: General Meeting
        • 2023 April 29th: Clean & Preen | Clean Sweep
        • 2023 13th & 15th April: #UMNAsocial
        • 2023 April 4th: General Meeting
  • 📰Newsletters
    • e-News May 12, 2025
    • e-News May 8, 2025
    • e-News April 28, 2025
    • e-News April 15, 2025
    • e-News March 28, 2025
    • e-News March 14, 2025
    • e-News March 7, 2025
    • e-News February 19, 2025
    • e-News February 10, 2025
    • e-News February 3, 2025
    • e-News January 27, 2025 (Special Edition)
    • e-News January 23, 2025
    • e-News January 17, 2025
    • e-News January 08, 2025
    • e-News December 28, 2024 (Special Edition)
    • e-News December 19, 2024
    • e-News December 13, 2024
    • e-News December 2, 2024 (Special Edition)
    • e-News November 27, 2024
    • e-News November 21, 2024
    • e-News November 11, 2024
    • e-News November 4, 2024
    • e-News October 27, 2024
    • e-News October 16, 2024
    • e-News October 10, 2024
    • e-News September 13, 2024
    • e-News September 3, 2024
    • e-News August 29, 2024
    • e-News August 22, 2024
    • e-News August 13, 2024
    • e-News August 7, 2024
    • e-News July 30, 2024
    • e-News July 22, 2024
    • e-News July 15, 2024
    • e-News July 11, 2024 (Special Edition)
    • e-News July 08, 2024
    • e-News July 02, 2024
    • e-News 2024 ARCHIVE
    • e-News 2023 ARCHIVE
  • 🚓Police & Public Safety
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  • 🚛City Services
  • 📚Monroe Branch Library
  • 📞Citizen Advocacy & Voting
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  • 🏫Resources for Renters
    • Property Condition Related Issues
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    • Rent Stabilization Related Issues
    • Additional information
  • 🛠️Contractor & Business Services List
  • 🌟Awards & Recognition
    • Pinnacle Award for long-term commitment to Upper Monroe
    • Reservoir Award for community building in Upper Monroe
    • Wendell Harrison Award for business commitment to Upper Monroe
    • Highland Award for commercial or rental property ownership in Upper Monroe
    • Portage Award for organizational partnership with Upper Monroe
    • Crosman Award for a notable gardenscape in Upper Monroe
    • Culver-Cobb Award for the notable restoration or improvement of the exterior of a residence
  • 📧Contact
  • ⛓️Information & Links About Rochester Neighborhood Groups
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  • Background
  • Photos & Background
  • Spring, 2023
  • Additional Resources

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Cobbs Hill Village Redevelopment

The redevelopment of Cobbs Hill Village in Cobbs Hill Park is an ongoing, multi-year project with notable impacts. This page is designed to help neighbors stay updated.

Previous297 Rosedale Street | Variance Application | Public Hearing May 22, 2025NextInvasive Species & Pests

Last updated 11 months ago

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Background

Cobbs Hill Village is a low cost senior housing project located inside dating back to when WWII era prisoner-of-war housing was converted to low-cost senior housing in the 1950s. Beginning about 2014 the non-profit manager/developer of Cobbs Hill Village began planning to demolish the current buildings and redevelop on the site. The effort was highly controversial and eventually wound up being decided in the NYS Supreme Court in favor of the developer after the Rochester City Council & Mayor both approved the redevelopment plan.

The phased re-development began with partial demolition of certain buildings on the site in the Spring of 2023. Construction will continue for three years or so according to published reports of the plan. Learn more by following the links below the photos.

Photos & Background

The historic photos below were found on public websites:

Democrat & Chronicle press clippings from the 1950s:

News report from April 4, 2017:

Spring, 2023

The photos below were captured since redevelopment began in the spring of 2023 by longtime tenant in Cobbs Hill Village, Lee Sengbusch.

Additional Resources

ARTICLE: . This article provides information about the historical background as well as the current status of the development including the expected construction schedule through 2025 or so.

ARTICLE:

WEBSITE: . This is the developer's website. You will find additional links and other resources on their "Documents & Downloads" page.

WEBPAGE: . This is the final decision related to the lawsuit to prevent the redevelopment of Cobbs Hill Village.

GOFUNDME:

ARTICLE:

ARTICLE:

DOCUMENT: . This letter by a consultant for the developer offers the author's opinion about the impacts of development on nearby notable mature trees

A new village at Cobbs Hill | By JACOB SCHERMERHORN | June 1, 2023 | Rochester Beacon
Rochester Management re-creating Cobbs Hill Village
| By Kevin Oklobzija | May 31, 2023 | Rochester Business Journal
The Cobbs Hill Village Project | Rochester Management
Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, New York | MATTER OF COALITION FOR HILL v. CITY OF ROCHESTER | Decided: May 07, 2021
The Fight to Preserve Cobbs Hill Village and Park | Coalition for Cobbs Hill
Cobbs Hill neighbors, tenants sue to block redevelopment | By Brian Sharp | May 9, 2018 | Democrat and Chronicle
Judge dismisses Cobbs Hill Village suits | By Tim Louis Macaluso | May 03, 2019 | City Newspaper
Tree Preservation at 645 Norris Dr. Rochester, NY, Cobbs Hill village Project | By Dan J. Glading | November 13, 2O17
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#cobbs-hill-park
Prisoner of War camp at Cobbs Hill in 1942
Interior shot of POW camp
Lake Riley and the Lodge circa 1940s
View of Cobbs Hill looking west circa 1956
Roots cut near "protected" (per the development agreement) trees.
Large oil tank discovered, excavated pm site.
Trucks removed contaminated soil & filled with replacement soil.
First cement is delivered through a remarkably long hose.
A new sign was added to the fence surrounding the project noting the group that lent the last 10% of the project that the State could not.
Historic photo of POW housing - Circa 1940s
Historic photo of POW housing - Circa 1940s
Historic photo of POW housing - Circa 1940s
Photo of the Cobbs Hill Village redevelopment - May, 2023
Photo of the Cobbs Hill Village redevelopment - May, 2023
Photo of the Cobbs Hill Village redevelopment - May, 2023
Photo of the Cobbs Hill Village redevelopment - May, 2023
Photo of the Cobbs Hill Village redevelopment - May, 2023
Photo of the Cobbs Hill Village redevelopment - May, 2023
Photo of the Cobbs Hill Village redevelopment - May, 2023
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