Rewold celebration offers first view of headquarters

An October 12 celebration of Frank Rewold & Son's 100-year anniversary will offer staff, stakeholders and others the first glimpse of the company's new headquarters at 400 Water Street in Rochester.

Work has been underway to build out the 45,000-square foot building on the former ITT automotive site that had long been vacant due to environmental contamination. Work on the site, which included a $2.3 million brownfield redevelopment plan, has allowed for a cleanup and containment plan for what had been the city's largest contaminated site.

The new building, which the company previously said they hope to have completed before the end of the year, will include three floors of office space, ground-floor parking and a third-floor mezzanine overlooking the Paint Creek. While the building is yet to be fully complete, the October 12 celebration will open up the ground floor, third-floor headquarters and the mezzanine to invited guests.

Guests at the celebration, which will not be open to the general public, will include employees, some government officials and others who have been involved in company's success over the past 100 years, including clients, contracts, business owners and others, Rewold spokesman Cody Johnson said.

"It's still under construction, but three levels will be open, including the ground floor, our offices, and the mezzanine and roof, where we will have a live band," he said. "It will be quite the event."

Started in 1918, Frank Rewold & Son was founded by the grandfather of current owner and CEO Frank Rewold, and has remained a family-owned business for four generations, including sons Jason and Sean. Starting out of "Grandpa Frank's" home in 1918, the company now provides professional construction management, design, build and general contracting services. Projects include the Rochester Public Library, Garth Pleasant Arena at Rochester College, the Royal Park Hotel, and several other major constructions.

In addition to the brownfield redevelopment at the headquarters site, the project adds improvements to the Rochester Lions Park, just north of the Mills Building, and enhancements along the Paint Creek riverbank. Overall, the development serves as the start of what is expected to be a campus project, extending from Rewold's Mills building south to E. 3rd Street.

Earlier this year, Rewold told Rochester City Council that plans were in the work for additional projects in the area, but stopped short of mentioning any specific plans.