Iconic Rochester Bar Demolished

On Wednesday, a longtime Rochester hangout became the latest victim of Rochester's rampant redevelopment of the downtown Rochester area. CJ's Midtown Lounge, which was located on Broadway, just south of Center Street, is being demolished and removed to make way for the long-planned and long-awaited Broadway at Center project that was originally approved by the Rochester City Council in 2014, but held up for more than two years due to financing delays.

"The city is contributing $6 ½ million, primarily to cover the cost of a new parking ramp for the project and the public," according to a recent post on KROC-AM. The entire project has an estimated price tag of $145 million dollars and is scheduled for completion in April 2019.

When completed, the multi-use tower will include a 254-room Hilton Hotel. The project is one of the first of those in the city's DMC initiative.

There's no definitive word on if CJ's will be relocating, or if it has seen its last days as a downtown Rochester watering hole...