# Midtown Plaza

Rochester, NY · mall · tier: curated · Retrofit Atlas record `m-caa6dbb6e8` · release 2026-10-20

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ny/rochester-midtown-plaza/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-caa6dbb6e8.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-caa6dbb6e8.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-caa6dbb6e8

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | partial | reported · authors' map |
| Strategy | redevelop, regreen, reinhabit | reported · authors' map |
| New use | housing, office, retail, park | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | • Partial reinhabitation: residential • Partial redevelopment: office mixed-use • Partial regreening: park and street grid | reported · authors' map |
| Opened | 1962 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Closed | 2008 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2005 | reported · authors' map |
| Original developer | Gilbert J.C. McCurdy and Maurice F. Forman | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | Buckingham Properties | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Entitlement year | 2017 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Planning notes | The building includes first-floor retail, Class A office space on the second and third floors, and a mix of housing on the remaining floors. | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **year_opened**: “Designed by Victor Gruen, the plaza was opened before on April 10, 1962, before a crowd of 5,000.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown_Plaza_(Rochester%2C_New_York)
- **year_closed**: “The plaza closed to the public on July 25, 2008.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown_Plaza_(Rochester%2C_New_York)
- **original_developer**: “The idea for Midtown Plaza started with discussions between Gilbert J.C. McCurdy, owner of the McCurdy's department stores, and Maurice F. Forman, owner of the B. Forman Co. department stores, in 1956.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown_Plaza_(Rochester%2C_New_York)

## Anchors

McCurdy's, Forman's

## Parties

- Peter Arnold — owner (from text) (–2000)
- City of Rochester — owner (from text) (2000–)
- Buckingham Properties — owner (from text) (2011–)

## Timeline

- 1956: Discussions begin between McCurdy's and Forman's owners about creating an indoor shopping center
- 1958: Midtown Plaza venture announced
- 1962: Plaza opened
- 1994: Anchor stores McCurdy's and Forman's close
- 2000: Placed in chapter 11 bankruptcy and sold to city
- 2005: Retrofit: redevelop, reinhabit, regreen
- 2008: Plaza closed to public
- 2010: Demolition begins
- 2011: Tower sold to Buckingham Properties
- 2017: City selects proposal for Parcel 5
- 2021: Parcel 5 converted to green space

## Deals and debt

- 2000 sale: 5900000.0 city of Rochester ← Peter Arnold lender unknown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown_Plaza_(Rochester%2C_New_York)

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

Midtown Plaza is a city district in downtown Rochester, New York. The site was originally occupied by an indoor shopping mall designed by Victor Gruen and opened in 1962. Although it was primarily promoted as a retail space, Gruen's vision was for the plaza to function as an all-purpose community space to revitalize the downtown area. The original mall was closed in 2008 after a decline in retail activity and partially demolished. Since 2010 the site has been redeveloped with new buildings and an open lot known as Parcel 5.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown_Plaza_(Rochester%2C_New_York)

## Sources

- Quoted support for year_opened — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown_Plaza_(Rochester%2C_New_York)
- Retrofitting Suburbia Interactive Mall Map (ArcGIS web map ce33ab26…) — https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=ce33ab2637374aab862b8a23847f620f (2021-01-20)

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Midtown Plaza, Rochester, NY." Record m-caa6dbb6e8, release 2026-10-20, tier curated. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ny/rochester-midtown-plaza/ (accessed 2026-10-20).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_rochestermidtownplaza,
  title = {Midtown Plaza, Rochester, NY},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ny/rochester-midtown-plaza/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-caa6dbb6e8, release 2026-10-20, tier: curated. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-20}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.