On August 8, our design team joined Connected Communities and local officials at the ribbon-cutting celebration for the newly renovated Neighborhood HUB on North Goodman Street. The renovated space serves Rochester’s Beechwood and EMMA neighborhoods with programs, resources, and gathering spaces.
Connected Communities is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to partner with EMMA and Beechwood residents to break the cycle of poverty through antiracist community revitalization and equitable resource coordination. Their new HUB brings the community together by providing access to youth programs, housing resources, business services, gathering spaces, and other vital support. It currently hosts Teen Empowerment, Hope585, and partners like the Beechwood Neighborhood Coalition, The Children’s Agenda, Taproot Collective, and Foodlink.
“This is a place where colocation enhances collaboration,” said LaShunda Leslie-Smith, executive director of Connected Communities. “It’s a place where people of all different backgrounds can come together in a natural gathering place in the community.”
The second part of the project involved the renovation of the Connect Lab building on Webster Avenue, Connected Communities’ new space for collaboration, innovation, and empowerment serving the Beechwood and EMMA neighborhoods. The facility serves as a launchpad for entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and community leaders to dream, build, and grow. The Connect Lab celebrated its grand opening on September 5.
SWBR provided exterior architectural design services for both projects.
News Stories:
New neighborhood hub offers programs for Beechwood and EMMA communities
https://rbj.net/2025/08/11/connected-communities-neighborhood-hub-rochester/?utm_source=chatgpt.com