Rochester grew around the Genesee River. Its falls powered mills that helped make the city known first as the “Flour City” and later as the “Flower City.” The river also carried the Erie Canal, which crossed on an aqueduct where today’s Broad Street bridge deck stands.
Around Browns Race, water and industry shaped the early city. That history is still visible along the river. But for many years, parts of the waterfront were cut off from everyday downtown life or underused.
Roc the Riverway is changing that relationship. The city-state initiative brings together dozens of infrastructure, park, and access projects along the Genesee. The goal is practical: make more of the river easier to reach and use.
A riverfront taking shape
Several projects are complete, including the Aqueduct District, Austin Steward Plaza, Sister Cities Bridge, Rundel Library North Terrace, Genesee Gateway Park, and upgrades to Pont de Rennes and Browns Race. Together, they add to the public spaces and connections along the river corridor.
The work connects places with distinct roles in Rochester’s history and daily life. A walk near Rundel Memorial Library, for example, can lead toward the river. At Browns Race, the industrial past sits beside the waterway that helped power the city.
The City of Rochester’s Roc the Riverway overview tracks the initiative and its projects. Its completed work is part of a larger effort, not the end of the transformation.
Genesee Crossroads Park begins construction
On September 8, 2026, the City and State broke ground on Genesee Crossroads Park. The project is valued at $8.2 million and will improve public space along the river.
Plans include ADA-compliant access, including a modified approach to the Sister Cities Pedestrian Bridge. They also include upgraded public spaces, new lighting and landscaping, and better connections to the Riverway Trail. The City’s project update describes the work and its purpose.
These improvements matter because access is more than a view of the water. Paths, lighting, and accessible approaches can make it easier for people to move between downtown destinations and the river. Crossroads Park adds another piece to that network.
High Falls State Park is next
High Falls is one of Rochester’s defining landmarks. The area also carries the story of the river’s industrial use, especially around Browns Race. A new state park is planned to bring more public access to this part of the Genesee.
The $75 million High Falls State Park is moving through remediation and phased development. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026 with High Falls Terrace as the first phase. Updated designs for the terrace were unveiled this year. The phases are expected to extend through 2032.
The project is a long-term undertaking. Remediation comes before the full vision can take shape, and the park will develop in stages. The High Falls State Park project team provides information about the plan and its timeline.
Planning continues for the aqueduct
The Erie Canal aqueduct is another key part of Rochester’s river story. The structure carried the canal across the Genesee; today, the Broad Street bridge deck occupies that route.
Aqueduct Reimagined is in planning. Final plans are anticipated in 2027. The project could reshape how people experience this central stretch of the river, while connecting a piece of canal history to the waterfront’s future. New York State’s project announcement outlines the ongoing work.
A recent milestone for downtown
A Roc the Riverway weekend celebration took place October 2 to 4, 2026. The event has passed, but it marked a recent moment to recognize the riverfront projects completed so far and the work still underway.
For downtown Rochester, the value of the initiative will be measured not only in construction milestones. It will also show in how people use the riverfront: whether a walk along the water fits into a day downtown, whether a public space can host a gathering, and whether visitors can move more easily between river destinations.
That is part of what makes the project relevant to the Rochester NY community. The river is not separate from the city’s history. It helped shape the industries, routes, and neighborhoods that grew around it. Reconnecting people with the Genesee brings that history into public view while making room for new uses.
What to see along the river
Roc the Riverway is still in progress, but residents and visitors can already explore completed public spaces and watch new work take shape. A walk through the river corridor offers a close look at the contrast between historic infrastructure, downtown streets, and newer public spaces.
For people looking for things to do in Rochester NY, the riverfront offers a reason to spend time downtown and see the city from a different angle. The Genesee Crossroads Park groundbreaking, the planned High Falls State Park, and the aqueduct project all point to a changing waterfront. Their timelines differ, but each is part of a broader effort to make the river more accessible.
The Genesee helped build Rochester. Roc the Riverway is helping the city reconnect with it. Readers can follow project updates from the City of Rochester and visit the riverfront to see the progress for themselves.