Rare earth, gravitational waves, and a mall reborn

From the blog · Adam Stetzer

Rochester keeps showing up in places that don't make the local news first — Billboard, NASA contracts, a $375M industrial bet on the city's future. This week's issue brings seven of those moments together, including a couple about the slower work of holding the city accountable to itself.

Eastman School of Music Makes Billboard's Top Music Business Schools List for the Fourth Year Running

Eastman School of Music has been named to Billboard's Top Music Business Schools list four consecutive years — in 2026, two separate programs were cited: the Beal Institute and the Institute for Music Leadership.

Rochester Is About to Become America's Rare Earth Capital — What the $375M Phoenix Tailings Facility Means for Our City

Phoenix Tailings is building a $375 million rare earth separation facility at Rochester's Eastman Business Park — operations start in 2027, full production in 2028.

Rochester's New Traffic Safety Dashboard Puts Every Crash on the Map

Rochester averaged 9.6 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents annually from 2020 to 2024 — the worst rate among comparable New York cities, exceeding Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, and Yonkers.

Rochester's Eastman School Just Made 50+ Music Leadership Case Studies Free for Everyone

Eastman's Institute for Music Leadership is making its 50+ case studies free through the Sibley Music Library starting fall 2026 — no login, no subscription required.

The Former Marketplace Mall Is Becoming a University of Rochester Medical Campus — What the New Clinic Means for Henrietta Families

The University of Rochester is proposing a 172,000-square-foot outpatient clinic at the former Marketplace Mall in Henrietta — one of the largest healthcare buildings planned for Monroe County's western suburbs.

City Council Approves $20M to Demolish the Terrence Building on Elmwood

Rochester City Council voted unanimously on October 20, 2026 to approve $20 million that converts the Terrence Building demolition from a state budget line into a binding contract with developer Whitestone Development Partners.

Rochester Is Building the Eyes of NASA's Gravitational Wave Observatory

L3Harris Technologies in Rochester has been awarded a NASA contract to build the Engineering Test Unit telescope for LISA — the critical step that proves out production before flight hardware is manufactured.

Upcoming Events

Thu, Oct 29

UR Dance Showcase Out of the Box, In the Box — Seating on All Four Sides at Sloan Performing Arts Center, October 29-31

Sloan Performing Arts Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Thu, Oct 29 · 6:00 PM

MAGsocial DeTOUR: Art, Death, and Fashion — Spooky Season at the Memorial Art Gallery

Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

Fri, Oct 30 · 7:00 PM

Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics at Temple Theater — October 30

Temple Theater, 50 Liberty Pole Way, Rochester, NY 14604

Fri, Oct 30 · 3:00 PM

Gather at Susan B. Anthony's Grave on Election Day — Mount Hope Cemetery, October 30

Mount Hope Cemetery, Susan B. Anthony Gravesite, Rochester, NY

Sat, Oct 31 · 9:15 AM

Mindful MAGiC: Frequency Flow at the Memorial Art Gallery

Fountain Court, Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave, Rochester NY

Sat, Oct 31 · 4:00 PM

The Halloween Bar Crawl Returns to Rochester — October 31 Starting at 3 Daughters

3 Daughters Tap and Tavern, 109 East Ave, Rochester, NY (bar crawl rou

See all events →

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