Park Point at RIT

infobox shopping mall


image_width = 250px
caption =
shopping_mall_name = Park Point at RIT
location = Henrietta, New York
coordinates = coord|43.091519|-77.658319|display=inline
opening_date = September 27, 2008
developer =
manager = Wilmorite Properties
owner = Wilmorite Properties (leased by RIT)
number_of_stores = <15
number_of_anchors =
floors =
floor_area =
parking =
website = [http://www.parkpointrit.com parkpointrit.com]

Park Point at RIT (originally referred to as "Collegetown") is a commercial enterprise on the northeast corner of Rochester Institute of Technology's campus in Rochester, New York. The property is being leased to Wilmorite Properties. [cite web|title=Park Point housing complex at RIT progresses| date=November 13, 2007 | url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/News/Article.aspx?id=94| accessdate=2008-09-22] Park Point at RIT is a $72 million dollar project and is expected to bring in $10 million in tax revenue during the first ten years of operation. [cite web|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071113/BUSINESS/711130306/1001 | title=Democrat & Chronicle: Business|author=|accessdate=2008-08-22]

Although tenants were allowed to move in and shops began opening on August 15th, 2008, the grand opening of Park Point at RIT was held on September 27th, 2008, with a concert called Simone Square Bash 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.reportermag.com/article/246| title=Park Point| author=Michael Barbato, Laura Mandanas, and Ilsa Shaw |accessdate=2008-09-23]

History

For several years, RIT had been looking for ways to add new housing to campus for students. As early as October of 2003, rumors spread through RIT's student body about expanding an existing complex, or perhaps a new student housing project. [cite web| title=Mixed-use project near RIT hopes to become a hub|date=September 28 2007| url=http://www.reportermag.com/staff/pdfs/2007_09_28.pdf|author=Rachel Hart| accessdate=2008-09-23]

In the Winter of 2005, RIT announced a plan for 'College Town'. College Town was envisioned as "a commercial venture that would bring a variety of shopping, dining and housing to a 90-acre parcel on the northeast corner of campus." [cite web| title=College Town concept expands life on campus|date=Winter 2005| url=http://www.rit.edu/gcr/umag/winter2005/005_collegeTown.html| accessdate=2008-09-22] Initially, the area was designed for use primarily by RIT students and faculty; but as time progressed, the idea of College Town expanded to include not only RIT and other college students, but to also encorporate recent graduates and the local community. [cite web| title=Mixed-use project near RIT hopes to become a hub|date=March 30 2008| url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/News/Article.aspx?id=98| accessdate=2008-09-22]

According to a statement from Wilmorite, the firm expects that the housing will largely be taken not only up by students from RIT, but also by students from Monroe Community College, University of Rochester and other area colleges, as well as local twentysomethings. [cite web| title=RIT retail, housing complex underway| date=May 1, 2007| url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/News/Article.aspx?id=68| accessdate=2008-09-22]

Construction

Although RIT originated the idea for the project, the implementation and operation of Park Point is being carried out by Wilmorite Properties. [http://wilmorite.com/Construction/ Wilmorite Construction] was responsible for construction of the complex.

Construction of Park Point was originally planned to start in Fall of 2006. However, the project was delayed by concerns about the wetlands in the proposed area. RIT worked with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to overcome the concerns. [cite web|url=http://staffcouncil.rit.edu/docs/minutes/061130.pdf | title=RIT Staff Council meeting minutes - Thursday, November 30, 2006|date=2006-11-30|author=|accessdate=2008-08-22] RIT created an equal amount of wetlands in the southeast corner of campus to offset the loss of wetlands due to the construction of Park Point.

Construction began on Monday, April 30th, 2007 with the clearing of trees and brush in the area, [cite web| title=RIT retail, housing complex underway| date=May 1, 2007| url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/News/Article.aspx?id=91| accessdate=2008-09-22] although the official groundbreaking was on June 22nd. [cite web|url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/News/Article.aspx?id=93 | title=Construction begins on RIT-'Park Point' targeted for August '08|date=2007-06-22|author=Daniel Wallace|accessdate=2008-08-22]

In addition to the construction at Park Point, the project also caused minor disturbances to local traffic for brief periods of time. These were mostly attributed to bringing utilities to the area as well as the paving of new entrances on John Street and Perkins Road.

Property

Park Point is situated upon a 60 acre plot of RIT's campus. The land, owned by the RIT, was originally intended to be sold to Wilmorite, but RIT instead chose to lease the land to Wilmorite. [cite web| title=Park Point housing complex at RIT progresses|date=November 13, 2007| url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/News/Article.aspx?id=94| accessdate=2008-09-22]

The area contains 32 buildings, 31 of which contain apartments. The buildings are divided into three groupings; the block of buildings along Jefferson Road, the block of buildings along John Street, and the buildings around Simone Square at the intersection of the two streets. Simone Square is a small mall. The southwest end of the square has a fountain and open-air stage. All buildings around the square have apartments from the 2nd to the 4th floors, excluding Barnes & Noble. [cite web|url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/Living/InteractiveMap/ | title=Interactive Map |date= |author= |accessdate=2008-09-24] .

Slightly west of Park Point is a small Radisson Hotel which is not associated with Park Point.

Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Academic Superstore anchors the commercial portion of Park Point, also doubling as RIT's new campus bookstore. The store is two stories tall, totaling half of Park Point's 80,000 square feet of commercial floorspace.

In addition to the normal assortment of books found at a Barnes & Noble, the store sells all textbooks required for RIT classes. There is also a significant proportion more books relating to subjects that RIT instructs, such as computer science and electrical engineering. The store also has a collection of art equipment for use in RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, including cameras, film, and portfolios.

The Barnes & Noble at Park Point also sells RIT clothing: RIT t-shirts, jerseys, hoodies and numerous other branded items, dormitory supplies, and minor conveniences. There is also a Starbucks inside the store. There are a few booths in Starbucks itself, and picnic tables can be found around Simone Square.

Despite the title, the store is not owned by Barnes & Noble, but actually by the separate company Barnes & Noble College Booksellers. College Booksellers is not a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, but controls the Barnes & Noble trademarks, which are licensed without charge to the general book-selling chain. The store does, however, accept Barnes & Noble gift cards and stored-value cards.

Simone Square

The focal point of the is property Simone Square, named in honor of Albert J. Simone. Simone was RIT's eighth president, and was involved with the project during his presidency. While discussing the College Town project, Simone had said, "We're doing this to increase a sense of community on RIT's campus. That way, students can have a place to release their energies after a hard day on campus and still be together with their classmates and see faculty and staff in a social setting." [cite web|url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/News/Article.aspx?id=93 | title=Construction begins on RIT-'Park Point' targeted for August '08|date=2007-06-22|author=Daniel Wallace|accessdate=2008-08-22]

The official Grand Opening of Park Point was held on September 27th, 2008 in Simone Square with a free concert called Simone Square Bash 2008.

Dining & shopping

The following shoppes and restaurants will be available upon completion of Park Point:
* Barnes & Noble Academic Superstore, which also doubles as the RIT's campus bookstore
* Lovin' Cup, a coffee café, wine bar and music bistro
* Gallery Salon Too
* Abbott's Frozen Custard , an ice cream parlor
* Wok With You, an Asian fusion restaurant
* Paradiso Pizza, a New York style pizza parlor
* King David's, a Mediterranean restaurant
* T.C. Riley's, a sports pub
* 7 Day's Convenience Store
* A fitness center, free for tenants

"Currently, the last three are not yet open for business."

Housing

During the first year of operation, housing at Park Point has been filled. 940 people live in 300 apartments. Apartments are leased fully furnished, and are available in 15 different layouts, including: singles, doubles, triples, quadruples, and quintuples. Prices vary from $700 to $1,200 per room per month. [cite web|url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/Information/| title=Park Point at RIT: Information|author=|accessdate=2008-09-22]

Despite being located on RIT's Campus, the housing at Park Point is not associated with RIT's own [http://housing.rit.edu Housing Operations] . [cite web| title=RIT Facilities Management Services:Park Point| date=| url=http://facilities.rit.edu/construction/collegetown.html| accessdate=2008-09-22] Additionally, although RIT has it's own [http://finweb.rit.edu/publicsafety/ Public Safety] department, Security for Park Point is being provided by Wilmorite's own [http://wilmorite.com/PropertyManagement/Security/ Wilmorite Security] . [cite web| title=Park Point at RIT - Security| date=2008| url=http://www.parkpointrit.com/Information/Security/| accessdate=2008-09-22]

Relations with RIT

Although RIT created the concept of an RIT CollegeTown, Wilmorite properties was responsible for construction and now the operation of Park Point.

There has been a small "student rally" concerning Parking at Park Point. RIT students who rent an apartment at Park Point are considered to be 'On-Campus' for purposes of acquiring a parking pass. Therefore, they are ineligible to receive parking passes for the various academic parking lots around campus. A student rally was held in Simone Square in which students peacefully planned a course of action: Formal Petitioning via RIT's Student Government. [cite web|url=http://www.reportermag.com/article/279| title=Students Rally at Park Point| author=Andrew Rees |accessdate=2008-09-23] RIT has acknowledged that this has become a problem, citing a deficit of nearly 1,100 parking spaces during the fall of 2008. In the mean time, more shuttle busses will be provided, with emphasis in the future of creating, among other parking improvements, additional parking spaces and more bike paths on campus. [cite web|url=http://www.reportermag.com/article/277| title=SG Updates| author=Andrew Rees |accessdate=2008-09-23]

Various shuttle busses travel to Park Point throughout the day, especially around Lunch Time. Additionally, some buses from the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority make stops at Park Point. [cite web|url=http://www.reportermag.com/article/246| title=Park Point| author=Geoffrey H. Bliss |accessdate=2008-09-23]

See also

* College town

References

External links

* [http://www.parkpointrit.com/ Park Point at RIT - Official Website]
* [http://rocwiki.org/Park%20Point%20at%20RIT Park Point at RIT at RocWiki]