Monroe Community College trustee John Parrinello blasts Rochester officials for decision on MCC's future downtown campus
Democrat and Chronicle
October 16, 2010
Monroe Community College Board of Trustees member John Parrinello blasted city officials Friday because they won't let MCC locate a new downtown campus on part of the former Midtown Plaza site.
Parrinello made his comments after leaving a special closed-door session of the MCC board convened to review possible sites for a new downtown campus.
Midtown was one of three locations that emerged on a list of possibilities in June.
On Friday, Parrinello said the Midtown site had become the top choice of the 10-member board before the city shot it down prior to an Oct. 4 board meeting.
"We thought that we had a consensus that Midtown would be a suitable site," said Parrinello.
As a result of the city's opposition, Parrinello said, the board added a fourth site to its list earlier this month: The Bausch + Lomb building, which is now for sale. But that site also has problems.
Parrinello blamed Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy, city Corporation Counsel Thomas Richards and Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development Carlos Carballada for opposing MCC's location on part of the 8.6-acre Midtown parcel.
