Rochester City Council committees on Oct. 16 approved a series of measures to advance multiple affordable‑housing projects, including loan authorization for the Cadillac Hotel rehabilitation, a zoning‑map change in the Northeast District and several state grant applications.

City staff told the Neighborhood, Jobs and Housing Committee that the larger redevelopment tied to the items is a roughly $38 million project and that the city’s contribution is “closer to $4,000,000,” while a transmittal in committee materials lists $3.3 million. Staff said they would provide a written breakdown of the funding and the project scope after the meeting.

Why it matters: The committee actions clear administrative steps needed for financing, local zoning and grant applications that would enable rehabilitation of underused buildings and construction of affordable housing in multiple districts, particularly the Northeast District.

Committee discussion and outcomes
Committee members repeatedly moved and passed the introductory items with motions and seconds; recorded roll‑call tallies were not provided in the committee discussion for these items. Council members and city staff discussed federal funding sources and tax‑credit programs that would support the projects.

City staff described funding sources under consideration as federal programs routed through the state, including New York State low‑income housing tax credits and homeless housing assistance programs. A staff member said: “I am not aware of any issues relating to the ongoing uncertainties at the federal level impacting this particular project specifically. We'd be happy to follow up in writing with any information.”

The committee authorized loan agreements for the Cadillac Hotel rehabilitation — a long‑discussed project council members described as converting a derelict hotel into affordable housing. One council member said, “Cadillac Hotel has been brought to you for a long time ... Glad to see turn it around … kudos to the administration and his team.” President Melendez noted that funds allocated in 2024 for expanding affordable housing have been applied to this project.

The committee also approved a zoning‑map amendment for parcels bounded by Hudson Avenue, Edward Street, Aramaic Street and Upper Fall/16th Street to accommodate a multifamily project in the Northeast District and authorized the city to apply for a Regional Revitalization Partnership award and a Round 9 Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant for the 4‑Corners area of downtown Rochester.

On the DRI application, staff said the November 7 submission deadline required the council resolution now, and that New York State’s review typically produces award notifications in the first quarter of the following year. Staff said they had received debrief feedback from a prior application asking for more demonstrable progress on the earlier DRI area; the administration plans to document that work in the current application.

Next steps and outstanding items
City staff committed to provide a written description of the library planning scope and a detailed funding breakdown for the projects. The administration also said that if the city is successful in the DRI competition, the state convenes a local planning process administered by the New York State Department of State and partners in ESD and HCR before funds are allocated locally.

Votes at the meeting were handled by motion; the committee approved the Cadillac Hotel loan authorization, the Northeast District zoning amendment, the Regional Revitalization Partnership application and the Round 9 DRI application. The committee instructed staff to provide written follow‑up on funding sources, timelines and public outreach plans.

Ending: Staff will return the requested written details to council members and the projects will advance to the next administrative and public‑planning stages as applicable.