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.

Background

Cobbs Hill Village is a low cost senior housing project located inside Cobbs Hill Park 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:

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

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.

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.

Additional Resources

• ARTICLE: A new village at Cobbs Hill | By JACOB SCHERMERHORN | June 1, 2023 | Rochester Beacon. 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: Rochester Management re-creating Cobbs Hill Village | By Kevin Oklobzija | May 31, 2023 | Rochester Business Journal

• WEBSITE: The Cobbs Hill Village Project | Rochester Management. This is the developer's website. You will find additional links and other resources on their "Documents & Downloads" page.

• WEBPAGE: Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, New York | MATTER OF COALITION FOR HILL v. CITY OF ROCHESTER | Decided: May 07, 2021. This is the final decision related to the lawsuit to prevent the redevelopment of Cobbs Hill Village.

• GOFUNDME: The Fight to Preserve Cobbs Hill Village and Park | Coalition for Cobbs Hill

• ARTICLE: Cobbs Hill neighbors, tenants sue to block redevelopment | By Brian Sharp | May 9, 2018 | Democrat and Chronicle

• ARTICLE: Judge dismisses Cobbs Hill Village suits | By Tim Louis Macaluso | May 03, 2019 | City Newspaper

• DOCUMENT: Tree Preservation at 645 Norris Dr. Rochester, NY, Cobbs Hill village Project | By Dan J. Glading | November 13, 2O17. This letter by a consultant for the developer offers the author's opinion about the impacts of development on nearby notable mature trees