From: Alaimo, Jessica [mailto:Jessica.Alaimo@CityofRochester.

Gov]
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2015 3:18 PM
To: Alaimo, Jessica
Subject: Questions about the Port project
Please see the below, from Mark Gregor, in regards to questions about the Port of Rochester.
While the port, like many urban and riverfront development sites, presents construction challenges
there are well known and commonly employed techniques that are being used and will be used to
overcome the challenges. Suggestions that the port site is so unique that development cannot proceed
is very misleading.
The site has been very well characterized specifically for the purposes of understanding how excavated
materials need to be handled and disposed of as part of the marina project. The environmental
management of over 75,000 cubic yards of excavation materials to date, under both construction
contracts, has been performed in accordance with the site environmental management plan and
multiple NYSDEC approvals.
With regard to the allegations about geotechnical conditions, as part of the Citys 2009 Predevelopment
Subsurface Conditions Analysis, Foundation Design, a local geotechnical firm evaluated the areas now
under consideration for private development by Edgewater, IE. Parcel 1. (Jeff Netzband, a professional
geologist and geotechnical engineer with Foundation Design and with over 30 years experience in
Rochester, prepared the geotechnical analysis component of the 2009 report. )
Again, while the pre-existing site conditions present construction challenges for the first phase of
Edgewater's proposed development (ie. the initial hotel and condominium development) these
challenges can be overcome using a deep foundation system constructed into bedrock. Deep
foundation systems are a known technology and commonly employed in settings like development
parcel 1. While it is true that the depth to bedrock is greater than 100 feet near the river, the depth to
bedrock on development Parcel 1 varies from about 50 feet near Lake Avenue to 65 feet closer to the
new alignment of River Street. Local examples of deep foundation systems include recently constructed
multi-story buildings at the University of Rochester.
The City has already provided significant amounts of subsurface condition information, including the
2009 report, to Edgewater. Edgewater has stated that it is planning on using a deep foundation system.
Typically after the City authorizes the sale of land to a developer, the developer will perform its own
environmental and geotechnical due diligence related to site conditions so they can complete design.
It is expected that Edgewater will use the existing information that has been provided and then perform
additional geotechnical investigations to develop the specific foundation system design for the hotel.
Edgewater will be responsible for the design of the hotel and the costs to construct the hotel, not the
City of Rochester or its taxpayers.