August 15, 2025
Rochester Planning Commission c/o City of Rochester Department of Planning and Zoning
30 Church Street, Room 125B
Rochester, NY 14614
RE: L-001-25-26, Landmark Designation 76 Anderson Avenue, Cutler Mail Chute Company Building
Dear Members of the Planning Commission:
On behalf of the Preservation League of New York State, I write in strong support of landmark designation of the Cutler Mail Chute Company Building at 76 Anderson Avenue. This designation not only aligns with the City's longstanding preservation goals but also directly advances the objectives and policies outlined in the 2034 Comprehensive Plan (2034 CP) and City Code § 120-193A(3)(b), which guide your Commission’s review.
The Preservation League of New York State empowers all New Yorkers to use historic preservation to enrich their communities, protect their heritage, and build a sustainable future. As New York’s statewide nonprofit preservation advocacy organization, we support the efforts of Rochester’s citizens to recognize and protect this highly significant building.
The property meets each of the Planning Commission standards for designation, outlined below.
§ 120-193A(3)(b)-1 – The proposed designation will be in harmony with the City's Comprehensive Plan and overall planning program of the City.
The 2034 Plan identifies historic preservation as a key strategy for Reinforcing Strong Neighborhoods and emphasizes “capitalizing on the unique existing assets within the city,” including historic buildings like this one. The Cutler Mail Chute Company Building is a visual and cultural anchor within the Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA), whose very identity has been shaped by the reuse of historic industrial and commercial buildings.
Designating this building will reinforce the city’s historic character, as encouraged by the 2034 CP, while continuing the pattern of strategic reinvestment along Anderson Avenue. Furthermore, the designation poses no barriers to adaptive reuse—in fact, the property has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the proposed Anderson Avenue Historic District, which would make the property eligible for state and federal historic tax credits, supporting economic development and job creation. The property’s M-1 zoning district remains fully intact, allowing redevelopment in line with current land use goals.
§ 120-193A(3)(b)-2 – The proposed designation will not adversely impact the growth and development of the City.
Preserving this structure will not hinder the city’s growth or development goals. Similar industrial-era buildings have been successfully adapted across Rochester—many with landmark status and historic tax credits—such as the Sibley Building, Gannett Building, and Bevier Memorial Building. The existing footprint and exterior configuration, which would not be replicable under current NYS Building Code, make this building a particularly valuable candidate for preservation. The leniency offered to designated historic buildings by code provisions enhances feasibility for future investment and redevelopment. Importantly, the proposed designation applies only to the exterior, allowing full flexibility for interior adaptation to meet contemporary uses.
§ 120-193A(3)(b)-3 – The proposed designation will not adversely impact any scheduled public improvement or renewal project.
The proposed designation affects only a single privately owned parcel, with no implications for the public right-of-way or known easements. Therefore, there is no conflict with public improvement or renewal projects scheduled or envisioned for the area.
In summary, the Cutler Mail Chute Company Building satisfies all relevant Planning Commission criteria for landmark designation. It upholds the intent of the City’s preservation ordinance, aligns with the 2034 Comprehensive Plan’s neighborhood and economic development goals, and promotes orderly, character-driven reinvestment in one of Rochester’s most iconic urban districts.
We respectfully urge the Planning Commission to support this landmark designation and help safeguard one of Rochester’s irreplaceable historic assets.
Sincerely,
Caitlin Meives
Director of Preservation, Preservation League of NYS