The Lehigh Valley Roundhouse built this town. Now it faces demolition. A growing community coalition has a different plan.
The Manchester Roundhouse was built to service the locomotives that once powered commerce across New York State. It is the reason this town exists. For generations, it shaped our economy, our identity, and our sense of possibility.
“Demolition is final. Preservation keeps options open — and right now, the options are extraordinary.”
Today, two paths are being considered. Ontario County will decide. The community’s voice matters. Once it is gone, it is gone forever.
The structure is permanently gone. The opportunity to reuse it as a community and economic asset disappears with it. A piece of irreplaceable history becomes a parking lot.
The Roundhouse becomes a year-round destination — a living hub for small businesses, education, culture, rail heritage, and community gathering that puts Manchester on the map.
Not a renovation. A reinvention. The Roundhouse becomes the Finger Lakes’ most compelling year-round destination — anchored in authentic history, alive with people, and built to last another hundred years.
Imagine summer evenings like this — hundreds of people from across the region gathering at a place that didn’t exist five years ago, because someone had the courage to say yes.
Families watch real craftsmen restore real locomotives through glass. The work that built this town — on display for the next generation.
Local vendors, artisans, and Finger Lakes food — in restored railcars that make the experience unforgettable and shareable.
Concerts, festivals, markets, and weddings in a setting no other venue in the region can offer. Every weekend, year-round.
One iconic structure transformed into four interconnected experiences — each drawing its own audience, together creating something the entire region will come to see.
Train à la Car dining, Manchester Library, an escape room, and local shops — thriving inside the same walls that once sheltered locomotives.
Historic turntable, live railcar restoration visible to the public, rotating exhibits, and hands-on school programming that connects generations to our past.
A dramatic event hall for concerts, weddings, markets, and expos — programming that draws visitors and revenue year-round.
Permanent bays for local makers, artisans, food vendors, and small businesses rooted in the Finger Lakes community.
Indoor recreation, community rooms, wedding venue, and year-round activities for all ages — something for everyone, every season.
Construction jobs, permanent operating roles, and millions in new tourism spending that ripples through the entire regional economy.
“The building that made Manchester is still standing. The community is ready. The moment is now.”
The legal landscape has fundamentally changed. The county no longer needs to take ownership of the property — removing the main financial risk that kept this in limbo. With that change comes an extraordinary window.
The county no longer needs to take ownership — removing the main financial obstacle that held this back for years.
Senators, mayors, House members, business leaders, and philanthropists — not one person we’ve spoken with opposes redevelopment.
A growing coalition meets monthly to strategize. A funding strategy and achievable vision are already in place.
Nearly 400 petition signatures and growing. This is a once-in-a-generation moment. The window will not stay open forever.
Manchester has what can’t be manufactured: a real story. The Roundhouse is original, dramatic, and iconic. This history is inherited, not built. The typical Finger Lakes visitor travels within a day’s distance — New York State, Pennsylvania, Canada. They’re already passing through.
The Windmill Market in Penn Yan sees 8–10,000 visitors every Saturday it’s open — 450,000 per year, one day a week. The Roundhouse could be the Windmill, but bigger, better, and open year-round. A destination that draws the entire region to Manchester.
Sources: trafficdata.drakewell.com • US Census Bureau • Finger Lakes Visitors Connection 2024 • Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance • thewindmill.com • ontariocountyny.gov
Every signature, every letter, every presence at a public meeting sends a message: this community is watching, and this building matters.
Nearly 400 signatures already. Every name sends a message to decision-makers.
Show up in person. Your presence signals the community is watching.
Personal letters from residents carry real weight with state representatives.
Share on social media. Talk to neighbors. Momentum is everything.
Questions or letters of support:
Rod Gennocro • (585) 857-7861 |
Joshuah G. Barry • (585) 732-5747 |
Xxxexpress.npo@gmail.com