State Funding to Bring Green Roof to Rochester

By Zack Seward

Rochester, NY – Late last week, Governor David Paterson announced more than $60 million for water quality improvements around the state. Slightly over $2 million is coming to the City of Rochester for green infrastructure improvements. Some of that money is going towards building a brand new green roof.

It would be the first green roof on a city building in Rochester.

However, it's unclear at this point where that roof will be.

"We did apply for putting the green roof on City Hall," said Senior Environmental Specialist Anne Spaulding. "We may not be able to at this point because we had to replace the roof in the meantime."

In addition to the as-yet-unsited green roof, the state grant money will also fund several other green infrastructure projects.

According to Spaulding, City Hall will be getting a parking lot made out of porous pavement. There will be a new "green" connector street between Emerson and Locust Streets. Cornerstone Park downtown will receive environmentally-friendly retrofits. And city trees will be getting new pits to allow for more water infiltration.

Spaulding says it's all part of an effort to help more city soil naturally filter stormwater runoff.

"It's exciting because it'll showcase these green infrastructure techniques," said Spaulding. "And putting them on public facilities and on public right-of-ways really shows the different ways we can mitigate storm water and improve water quality in the area."

Spaulding says construction on the projects will likely begin about a year from now.

The Seneca Park Zoo has a green roof, but according to Spaulding that was a county-led project.