Take A Tour: Windstream's New Offices
By: Caroline Tucker
Updated: February 13, 2013
News 8's Caroline Tucker got an inside look at the Midtown office building that will be home to Windstream in July.
It's been almost a year since they broke ground in the heart of downtown Rochester.
The transformation has evolved over the last 11 months near Main and Clinton Streets.
The revamped Seneca Building stands as the project's cornerstone.
"I think it was difficult for everyone to see Midtown be demolished but it needed to happen and it's great to see it being rebuilt," said Pat Rogers, Pike Company Vice President.
The Pike Company owns the building and is leasing the space to Windstream. It's been responsible for building out the building.
It's hired some sub-contractors for some of the interior work.
"This is the core of the building that has the elevator banks, restroom facilities and some of core offices," said Rogers, as he gave at tour of the new space.
Windstream's new downtown home takes up the first and second floors, roughly 67,000 square feet of space.
"It has a feeling of old but it also looks contemporary and I think it's going to build excitement for the Midtown Plaza," said Rogers.
It took six months to build up the outside.
And now crews are working on the interior.
There's an extensive telecommunications wiring that's going in, paint is being added to the walls, and crews are checking the heating and air condition system.
"Schedule is everything," said Rogers, who said the project is running on time.
The third floor of the Seneca Building has 33,000 square feet of leasable space and the Pike Company is now looking for tenants to occupy that part of the building.
"It's structurally has very high ceilings and heavy floor load so it can accommodate lots of different uses," said Rogers.
"This tunnel will feed for the 2,000 space parking garage and will deliver goods from our loading dock to the loading dock at other buildings as well," said Rogers, as he described what's happening outside the building.
In April, Windstream's furniture moves in and employees will follow in July.
"Certainly the 335 people that will occupy the building will bring a lot of excitement and new market to area in terms of people looking to rent perhaps and retail and so forth, so hopefully it builds on itself," said Rogers.
By Spring, Rogers said the Pike Company will be working to create a courtyard and landscaping outside the building.
He said the city is also working on adding a park adjacent to the courtyard.
