Downtown ROCs

In 1989, Margaret "Midge" Thomas commissioned a 3-headed brass water fountain for The City of Rochester to represent liberty, equality and humanity.

Inspired by a personal experience in which she was charged 10 cents for a cup of water to take medication, Midge wanted to make sure that anyone who needed a drink of water downtown could have one.

Several thousand people attended the original ceremony, and the fountain has been installed at Liberty Pole Plaza every Spring since. This week City crews placed the newly-repainted Jane Pittman Fountain in its rightful position, albeit for the first time without Midge in attendance💔.

Here it will stand through the heat of summer as a legacy to Midge's generosity and humanity.

We were at it again!!!

For the second year in a row, Downtown ROCs partnered with the RIT Center for Urban Entrepreneurship at 40 Franklin Street to plant flowers in their potters—18 flowers in each one!

Projects like this help make downtown Rochester welcoming for everyone.

More color. More beauty. More life in downtown Rochester.

This weekend , Downtown ROCs invested and installed four new decorative planters in St. Joseph’s Park. The potters were filled with 18 dahlias to help make this unique downtown gathering space even more vibrant and welcoming.

As the dahlias grow and bloom throughout the summer, they'll add a beautiful splash of color to one of downtown's most treasured green spaces.

Next time you're downtown, stop by St. Joseph’s Park and see the transformation for yourself! 🌺