The proposal from the Rochester Broadway Theater League for a performing arts center is getting a major boost. RBTL Chairman Arnie Rothschild confirms that Paychex founder and philanthropist Tom Golisano has committed $25 million toward their proposal.
“It is an amazing commitment from a man who is our current era George Eastman, who wants this community to have a great performing arts center. The key is that this is not site specific, so it’s not just Parcel 5, we discussed Parcel 5, but he wants us to find the best location for the new performing arts center and get it done,” Rothschild told WXXI News.
Parcel 5 is a key part of the downtown development in midtown, and the city has been mulling over several proposals.
RBTL is proposing an $85 million plan that includes a $10 million endowment. The organization would raise $15 million on its own, and seek the remaining $45 million from the governor’s office and the state assembly and senate.
RBTL has been pushing for a performing arts center for some time now, but Rothschild feels this proposal meets some earlier concerns.
“In the past we aligned with a government project whether it was Renaissance Square, or the city’s desire to build whatever. In this project RBTL will become the developer, RBTL will own the venue, and so there is no threat of any operating subsidy in any form of government because government won’t be involved.”
Rothschild does note that because they are a not-for-profit, their proposal would take the parcel off the tax rolls, but he says that “on the other side, 250,000 people a year would be coming downtown to go to restaurants or live downtown or shop or whatever. The city has to decide what their priorities are, our priorities are pretty simple, we have to build the new performing center.”
A city hall spokesman says officials are within "weeks to a month" of making a decision about a developer for Parcel 5.
