Sibley Square renovation project to receive honor

Sibley Square in Rochester—which houses NextCorps— will receive an award for Excellence in Historic Preservation from the Preservation League of New York State. The League’s statewide awards program honors notable achievements in retaining, promoting and reusing New York State’s irreplaceable architectural heritage.

“In 2013, WinnCompanies began its largest preservation and reuse project to date, revitalizing 1.1 million square feet of space as a mixed-income, mixed-use development, incorporating commercial, residential, educational and recreational elements in a historic setting,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of New York State. “Sibley Square calls to mind the entrepreneurial spirit that fueled Rochester’s success in the past, and is once again moving the Finger Lakes toward the future. The project demonstrates the power of partnership among government, educational institutions and the private-sector development community.”

Several agencies, including the city of Rochester; Rochester Economic Development Corp. – REDCO; County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency; offered assistance to the project.

Opened in 1906, Sibley’s was once the largest department store between New York City and Chicago. Generations of Rochester residents and visitors have fond memories of the store’s holiday window displays which attracted crowds to this center city location. The store closed in 1989.

Today, NextCorps, an affiliate of the University of Rochester and a state-and federally-designated business incubator, occupies the sixth floor of Sibley Square.

“We greatly appreciate the Preservation League’s recognition of the hard work and imagination that many public and private partners have committed to the revitalization of the Sibley Building as Sibley Square. We are proud of our role in re-inventing this historic icon as a modern hub for the complete range of housing and innovation, preserving a gracious building while re-energizing a bright and vital future for Rochester’s downtown,” said WinnCompanies CEO Gilbert Winn.

The awards will be presented at the Preservation League’s Awards Ceremony in New York City at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9th at the historic New York Yacht Club, 37 West 44th Street.

Here’s the list of award winners:

• Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory, Poughkeepsie;
• Richardson Olmsted Campus, Buffalo;
• Hotel Saranac, Saranac Lake;
• R.E. Dietz Lantern Factory, Syracuse;
•  John Jermain Memorial Library, Sag Harbor;
• Tapestry on the Hudson, Troy.
• The New York Botanical Garden will be honored for Organizational Excellence.