ROCHESTER, N.Y. — One year after a massive fire destroyed an abandoned Rochester department store, new hope is filling its space with an affordable housing project – the Gardner Lofts.
The former “Tent City” building, previously an outdoor and camping mega store, sat abandoned for years before a fire destroyed much of the site in late July of 2025. News10NBC’s Tom Kowalski spoke with developers and neighbors about the future of the site.
Neighbors react
“I believe it’ll make a big impact on the community because it’ll help them save money in their pockets,” Ronald Dodd said.
Dodd is a lifelong resident of the Lyell Avenue neighborhood. He’s excited to see the new 88-unit affordable housing project come to his neighborhood, half of which will be for veterans…