New river wall in time for ‘Roc the Riverway’ weekend

Rochester, New York — As a part of the Roc The Riverway, The City of Rochester is offering several family-fun activities centered around the Genesee River this weekend.

This project was announced a little over two years ago, invests millions of dollars all with the goal of transforming the Genesee River to attract more residents.

According to the mayor, this is her way of building upon one of the city’s biggest assets.

Jay Mercer, the resident of Greece, likes to come down to the river after dark, off of St Paul Boulevard to fish. “I come here very often catch a lot of salmon down here,” he said. “As far as fishing it’s the best spot the river period is the best to catch a game.”

It’s a great place to feel a part of the community, and even meet new people, Mercer said. “I’ve been doing this for a while, definitely a lot of people I meet down here, they know more than I do I learn a lot of things from them pass it to other people,” he said.

City officials announced the completion of a new river wall in Cornhill just in time for Roc the Riverway weekend. “It will not only be one of the highlights of the Genesee River but a celebration of our rich history right here in the Cornhill Neighborhood,” said Mayor Lovely Warren.

The project shines a light on Rochester’s history, too. Its name, North Star Commons, was inspired by educators from the south who moved here years ago, including Frederick Douglass, and Dr. Andrew Ray. “A chance to make a difference because that’s what life is about,” said Ray. “I thank the mayor for her vision to see the need to say here is some history living history still here with our colleagues and we can still tell the story.”

The state invested 50 million dollars back in 2018. Roc the Riverway consolidates more than two dozen projects along the riverway all aimed for revitalization and more accessibility.