Location: Mark Street, City of Rochester, Monroe County
Client: Edge Architecture, Uncommon Schools
Project Type: Educational
Completed: Spring 2022
Engineers: Matt Tomlinson, Cole Papasergi
Project Description:
Rochester Prep High School is a public high school located in the heart of Rochester that is part of Uncommon Schools. Marathon started work on this project in 2013; the original scope was to convert a vacant church building to a PUC Achieve charter school, serving the middle school population beginning with the 2014 – 2015 school year. The first year would have 100 students enrolled in Grade 5, with additional grades added each year so that year 4 would have 400 students in grades 5 – 8.
This initial work was the beginning of a multi-phase, multi-year project, that also saw a change in the ownership of the charter school to E-3 Rochester. To accommodate the projected growth in the student population, additional properties were purchased, and the nearby parking lot was expanded to provide additional on-site parking for staff.
Ownership of the charter school changed shortly after this to Uncommon Schools looking to operate a high school, significantly expand the school building to include a full gymnasium, and create a visually appealing main entrance. We collaborated with Uncommon Schools and Edge Architecture on planning and alternative site design options, including conceptual layouts for bus and parent drop-off areas.
This master planning effort resulted in a 29,950± sf building expansion, as well as additional parking and play areas, that opened in August 2021. The process to consolidate 24 individual lots into a north and south campus is currently still underway.
Overall, this project has been transformative, resulting in a substantial improvement in the character and aesthetic of the neighborhood.
