Rochester City Council Wrap
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19./// thank you for joining us.
I'm katie lange.
Legal action against a builder... redeveloping a key rochester roadway... and addressing discriminatory language in property deeds.
The rochester city council had a busy afternoon of important decisions.
Kimt news three's anthony monzon joins us with a breakdown of some of the most impactful actions taken by city leaders today.
Anthony?
Well katie... the north broadway reconstructio n project is finally getting the green?
"* light.
After years in the works... the city council has accepted an 18?
"* point?
*4 million dollar construction bid to break ground on the project as early as next month.
Officials say the project is intended to transform the broadway avenue cooridor from civic center drive to 13th street north into a gateway to downtown rochester.
Construction was originally expected to start last year... but was delayed after bids came in higher than anticipated.
While the bid accepted today is one?
"*point*- five million dollars less expensive than those received last year... council member nick campion voted against the bid... and says he's disappointed by how much the "i thought we had really kind of made some hard decisions, and taken on a project i thought would be significant, generational improvement to the area.
As we've continued through successive rounds of compromise, i think we've lost some of the opportunity."
As the project moves forward... officials say broadway and some side streets will be disrupted by construction... which is expected to be completed by the city will also be moving forward with a lawsuit against the builder and designer of a downtown parking ramp.
The ramp... located on the corner of first avenue and first street south?
"* east... was originally designed to support at least eight levels of mixed?
"*income housing above is parking facilities.
The city says it hasn't been able to build the planned housing project because of issues with the ramp.
Officials add mediation with the builder?
"* designer was and city leaders have signed off on a new partnership aimed at removing discriminatory language from property deeds.
The city will work with the just deeds program to identify and eliminate racially restrictive covenants that once prevented the sale and rental of property to people of color and certain faiths.
While the covenants have not been legal or enforcable for decades... council member mark bransford says it's important people realize this practice took place... "that's our history, and it's not a good one, but people do need to understand that we have to understand our past so that we don't repeat our mistakes."
City staff say rochester is known to have a number of discriminatory covenants... which city attorney jason loos says are still written into some deeds in the pill hill district and kutsky park area.
As part of the partnership... deeds found to have discriminatory language will be mapped out and used for thank you anthony.
Today the council also extended the city's outdoor seating program for bars and restaurants