Little Italy Association outlines plans to revitalize neighborhood
Rochester, N.Y. – It’s an effort that has been years in the making. Monday night, there was a chance to see the plans to bring new life to Rochester’s Little Italy neighborhood.
The group behind it says it will need both private and public money.
The Little Italy Association rolled out a first look of what it hopes to achieve in the corner along Lyell Avenue. The plans call for a neighborhood makeover and a fountain at Lyell and State Street.
“We’re looking at a true Renaissance,” said Tom Labue, a Lyell Avenue business owner. “That would be the start, and I think the investment would follow.”
“I think it would not only be inspiring for us, but quite exciting for other residents of the Rochester-Monroe County area as well,” said Dave Cangialosi, who grew up in the Lyell-Otis neighborhood.
The group has applied for a $1 million grant from the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and hopes to have another million to match it if it is awarded.