Do you live, work, and/or spend time on Thurston? We want to hear from you! Help Shape Thurston Road’s Identity The Thurston Road commercial corridor is an important part of the 19th Ward. As you may recall from the last survey, the District Manager and the 19th Ward Collaborative are in the midst of working with the community to define Thurston’s identity. The first survey helped lay the groundwork for additional community engagement (big thanks to the 200+ people who took the time to respond!) and now we want to hear from you again! As we continue to work through a corridor branding and placemaking process, we’re seeking your input on what the Thurston corridor should be called, how its identity reflects the neighborhood and businesses, and what it represents within the broader Rochester community. Your feedback will help shape a name and identity that feels authentic to the people who live, work, and spend time here. Why do we need to brand the Thurston corridor? A strong corridor brand helps communicate what makes a place unique, creating a shared identity that builds community pride, supports local businesses, and attracts visitors. It has the power to foster a stronger sense […]

Envision Thurston Road Envision Thurston Road aims to improve Thurston by bringing in more businesses and encouraging people who live in the 19th Ward to shop there. Envision Thurston Road  is supported by the 19th Ward Collaborative, a group of nonprofits and community members working to improve the 19th Ward. The collaborative was formed through an agreement between the 19th Ward Community Association and ESL Federal Credit Union, bringing together key stakeholders and nonprofit organizations to address the challenges and opportunities facing the neighborhood. Its goals are to promote partnership, create financial wellness, increase homeownership, and improve the Thurston Road commercial corridor. Three years. One corridor. A stronger neighborhood. Envision Thurston Road is a three-year project focused on improving the Thurston Road commercial corridor. 2026 is centered on gathering information, building connections, and developing a strategy for improving the corridor. 2027 will be focused on testing ideas from that strategy, and 2028 will be about building the systems the neighborhood needs to continue the work into the future. The work is supported by project management from the PathStone Enterprise Center, consulting by CivicBrand and G. Kellogg & Co, and oversight by the Thurston Corridor Advisory Board. Take the Survey You can take the […]

19th Ward Neighborhood Association partners with ESL to form the 19th Ward Collaborative After an extensive investigation that included gathering neighborhood level data and holding community meetings to get resident input, the 19th Ward Neighborhood Association and ESL have partnered to create a collaborative made up of stakeholders and non-profit groups to work together on homeownership & housing conditions, financial wellbeing, and the Thurston business corridor. In addition to the 19th Ward and ESL, the collaborative is made up of 10 different non-profits who have housing and financial wellness programs. The collaborative’s goal is to work with residents to improve homeownership opportunities, housing conditions and financial wellbeing, strengthening households and the neighborhood at the same time. As part of this collaborative effort, The Enterprise Center at PathStone has hired a district manager to work with businesses, commercial property owners, other stakeholders, and the 19th Ward neighborhood to improve the Thurston business corridor. The collaborative and Thurston district manager will be providing regular posts to this webpage to inform the neighborhood about upcoming outreach efforts and other activities being planned. Check in regularly for these updates and to lean more!