Xerox Tower

Skyscraper in Rochester, New York

43°09′16″N 77°36′17″W / 43.15455°N 77.60477°W / 43.15455; -77.60477Current tenantsInnovation SquareConstruction startedJune 28, 1965^[1]Completed1967Opening1968 (As Xerox Tower) Summer 2021 (As Innovation Square)CostUS$27 million^[2]OwnerGallina DevelopmentManagementGallina DevelopmentHeightTop floor443 feet (135 m)Technical detailsFloor count30Floor area519,994 square feet (48,309.0 m²)Design and constructionArchitect(s)Welton Becket and AssociatesDeveloperCentral City Holding Corporation, Weidlinger Associates, Inc.,Joseph R. Loring & Associates, Raisler CorporationMain contractorTurner Construction CompanyWebsiteOfficial WebsiteReferences^[3]

Innovation Square, formerly Xerox Tower, is a skyscraper in downtown Rochester, New York, standing at 443 feet (135 m) tall.^[4] The tower is the centerpiece of a roughly 2.7 acres (1.1 ha) complex named Xerox Square.^[5] When it was built in 1967, it was the tallest building made of poured-in-place exposed aggregate concrete. It is the tallest building in Rochester, as well as the third tallest building in New York outside of New York City. It was initially used as the headquarters of Xerox Corporation.

The "Digital X" Xerox logo at the top of the building was removed in 2005 with Xerox's new positioning away from "The Document Company" signature and the related logo in use since 1994.^[6]

On April 18, 2009, Xerox announced their wish to sell the tower and other buildings in Xerox Square, and lease back the office space.^[1] In August 2013 the property was sold to Buckingham Properties for $40 million. Under the terms of the sale Xerox will continue to lease space in the building for eight years, with an option to renew. Between the Summer and Autumn of 2015, a multi-color light display was added to all four corners of the tower roof.^[5]

The complex formerly featured an outdoor skating rink, and an English pub-style restaurant called The Shakespeare, both of which operated until the late 1970s or 1980s before being converted to a private outdoor lounge for Xerox employees.^[7]

On January 26, 2018, Xerox has announced that it would vacate the entire building to move all its local employees to Webster.^[8]

More recently, it was sold to Gallina Development.^[9] Gallina announced that it would rename the complex "Innovation Square" and retrofit it with housing, commercial, and college student living space.^[10] The auditorium, which was kept, reopened as a performing arts center in September 2021.^[11]

Gallery

East entrance, showing plaza
Parking garage entrance
Plaque before it became Innovation Square
Plaza. Formerly an ice skating rink
Former skyway to the former Midtown Plaza
Base
Façade, south side
Xerox Tower before the "X" was removed

References

^ ^a ^b Deckert, Andrea (June 18, 2009). "Xerox seeks to sell tower, then lease it back". Rochester Business Journal. Rochester, New York. Retrieved June 19, 2009.^{[dead link]}
^ "Xerox wants to sell 30-story tower". The Journal Record. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. May 31, 2001. Retrieved June 19, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)^{[dead link]}
^ "Xerox Tower". Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
^ Xerox Tower [1] emporis.com
^ ^a ^b Deckert, Andrea (Aug 2, 2013). "Xerox Square sells at $40M". Rochester Business Journal. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved Nov 1, 2013.
^ "Xerox, The Very, Very, Very Shiny Company". UnderConsideration - Brand New. January 7, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
^ Morell, Alan (Feb 11, 2017). "Whatever Happened to ... the ice rink at Xerox Square". Democrat & Chronicle. Retrieved Mar 4, 2013.
^ "Xerox to leave downtown offices, relocate employees to Webster campus". Democrat & Chronicle. Jan 26, 2018. Retrieved Jan 31, 2018.
^ WHAM (2020-09-21). "Gallina Development acquires former Xerox Tower". WHAM. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
^ "Xerox Tower to become 'Innovation Square'". WHEC News10NBC. 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
^ Sharp, Brian. "Renovated theater at former Xerox Square will cater to community arts groups". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-09-10.