The Metropolitan (Rochester)

The Metropolitan, formerly known as Chase Tower (before 2015), and Lincoln First Bank (before 1996), is a skyscraper located in Rochester, New York, United States. It is the third tallest skyscraper in Rochester, standing at 392 feet (119 m). It has 27 floors and was constructed in 1973. The architect responsible for designing the building was John Graham & Company. The building is unique for its outstanding white vertical fins and the fact that it curves outward on the bottom.[4] This building is also known for its fast elevators. Many people refer to them as "rockets". They were installed in the 1970s and travel at about 1000 feet per minute.

The Metropolitan [1]
The Metropolitan in downtown Rochester, looking northwest
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Mixed-Use
Location	1 S Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14604
Coordinates	43.156550°N 77.606863°W / 43.156550; -77.606863
Completed	1973
Renovated	1987 & 2015
Owner	Gallina Development Corporation[2]
Height
Roof	392 feet (119 m)
Technical details
Floor count	27
Floor area	356,000 sq ft (33,073 m^2)[3]
Lifts/elevators	made by Haughton
Design and construction
Architect	John Graham & Company

The Metropolitan was renovated in 1987. It has 474,325 square feet (44,066.2 m²) of gross area, with 424,000 square feet (39,400 m²) of leasable office space.[5]

Recent renovations

The upper floors of the building were converted to apartments in 2016 with condos coming in 2018. [6]

A new entrance way was completed in 2017.

Damage to fins

The white fins were originally made with marble panel coverings. By the 1980s, however, these began to warp and loosen. They were replaced with painted aluminum panels.

Elevators

While the elevators in this building were somewhat famous in the 1970s for their speed, in more recent years they have come under fire for a lack of reliability, prompting some to question their safety. On February 20, 2020, an incident occurred where a woman was trapped for several hours after narrowly avoiding injury.

In response, the building owner, Gallina Development, promised to replace the elevators by mid-2022.

Gallery

• 
  Metropolitan Tower, formerly Chase Tower. Rochester NY.
• 
  The tower at night

References

1. Gorbman, Randy (November 6, 2015). "Chase Tower To Be Renamed". WXXI News. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
2. Deckert, Andrea (March 17, 2015). "Gallina Development acquires Chase Tower". Rochester Business Journal. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
3. Combs, Jimmy (June 5, 2013). "Lincoln Tower… Through 1970, and beyond". Rochester Subway. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
4. "Chase Tower". Emporis. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
5. "Chase Tower". rochesterdowntown.com. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
6. "Contemporary Apartments & Luxury Condos". The Metropolitan Rochester. Retrieved 9 August 2017.