Major waterfront development hits snag

A proposed $250,000,000 development along the Genesee River has encountered problems which threatens its fruition.

Lighthouse Pointe would be a neighborhood of condos, townhouses, restaurants, shops, and marinas on the East side of the river near the O'Rourke Bridge just up river from the Port of Rochester.  The 50 acre sight was formerly a landfill and sewage treatment area, so environmental issues are significant. Significant enough so that principles applied for a Brownfield designation as part of their application for New York State's Brownfield Cleanup Program.

However, the State Department of Environmental Conservation recently denied the application, in sum and substance because it claims the area is not polluted enough to signifigantly hamper efforts for development.

The developers disagree, saying the area needs up to 8 million dollars in cleanup, and have filed suit against the DEC in hopes that a judge will reverse the decision.

Properties accepted into the Brownfield Cleanup Program get the benefit of tax breaks, regulatory oversight of cleanup efforts, and a release from liability once the job is finished. Without these assurances, however, the principles of Lighthouse Pointe say their financial partners will not back them and they will have to walk away from the project.

Click on the video icon to watch our entire story, and see renderings of the Lighthouse Pointe Development.