Rochester RFP deadlines near for Rundel Library plan and Science Park sites

Rochester is weighing proposals for two separate public-asset efforts: a mechanical-improvements master plan for Rundel Memorial Library and possible development of two city-owned Science Park parcels.

The Rundel proposal deadline is 4 p.m. Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Proposals for the Science Park sites are due by 4 p.m. Friday, August 21, 2026.

Rundel plan would assess major mechanical needs

The city is seeking firms experienced in inspecting and evaluating mechanical systems to prepare a comprehensive master plan for improvements at the historic Rundel Memorial Library, 115 South Ave. The 1936 downtown building serves with the Bausch and Lomb Library as the Central Library branch for Rochester and Monroe County.

The city’s solicitation says surveys of existing mechanical systems, along with ongoing maintenance and repair needs, have highlighted the need for several substantial upgrades. The building’s systems include mechanical air handlers and boilers and chillers; the solicitation also describes a custom-built asbestos-covered air handler in the penthouse that is original to the building.

The requested plan would document existing conditions and equipment, compare solution options, make recommendations, and prepare conceptual scopes of work with cost estimates and timelines. The city says the goal is to support integrated, phased and long-term solutions.

The solicitation describes a library of approximately 120,000 square feet, including public stacks, exhibition, reading and meeting spaces, as well as storage, distribution and staff areas. It does not award construction work or approve a final mechanical-upgrade plan.

Science Park proposals due Aug. 21

Rochester is also accepting proposals for development of one or more city-owned sites in Science Park, a planned development in the Upper Mount Hope neighborhood.

The two parcels are approximately 5.52 acres at 330 Science Parkway and 3.74 acres at 250 Science Parkway. The city lists 2026 appraised values of $390,000 for 330 Science Parkway and $280,000 for 250 Science Parkway.

The city describes Science Park as an approximately 38-acre campus created in the 1990s as a high-technology development, with research, technology, innovation, light-manufacturing and office uses in its development context.

The Science Park request is a solicitation for proposals, not an announcement that either parcel has been sold or assigned to a developer. The city has not identified a final project or final use for the sites through the RFP.

What happens next

Both matters remain at the proposal stage. Neither solicitation establishes a selected consultant, construction contract, land sale, developer commitment or final project.

For Rundel, the city must review proposals before any possible professional-services award and later decisions about design, financing, construction phasing or building impacts. For Science Park, the city must review development proposals before deciding whether to pursue a sale, agreement or specific use for either parcel.

The city’s procurement page says professional-service RFPs are handled by the department seeking the work, which reviews proposals and recommends a selection to the mayor. City Council approval is required for agreements over $10,000.

For residents, taxpayers and potential developers, the immediate dates are the two submission deadlines. The larger public questions—how Rundel’s mechanical needs would be financed and phased, and what uses could come to the Science Park land—remain for later awards, contracts, financing and land-disposition decisions.

Sources

• Rundel Memorial Library mechanical-improvements RFP
• Rochester Business Journal report on Science Park proposals