"Its either a giant hole waiting to be filled, or an impressive asset in a city that needs to revitalize its downtown"

- Laurie Mercer

abstract

   Businesses and Services develop based on the local traffic and success of the surrounding area.  However, traffic is also a direct result of the amount of business in an area thus creating an interwoven relationship dependent on the success of both.  With the current state of the United States economy, development of new spaces is risky and often problematic.

premise

   Impressive structures lay in waste as society continues to advance past what services they may provide thus creating a negative impact on the local economy and life of an area.

question

   Can architecture be used to revitalize a downtown area through the re-purposing of an abandoned tunnel, bridge, and surrounding area?

preface

   Late in the spring semester of my senior year, I was still struggling with the development of the idea for my thesis project.  Bouncing between topics, I never truly came up with something I thought I would be able to work on for over a year.  During the summer months at home in Rochester, NY I began spending more time in the downtown area of the city because of sports activities and social interactions.  This is when I noticed the severe lack of "post five oíclock" activity within the very heart of the city.  I began research into the local area and what businesses resided in downtown in order to get a grasp on what exactly caused this late night abandonment.  At this point I discovered numerous abandoned lots and spaces, the most intriguing being an old subway tunnel.  From that point I began the development of my premise and question.