69 Cascade Drive — often referred to as part of the “Cascade District”
or “Knowlton Building” area — has a long industrial history tied to
Rochester’s manufacturing era.
History
The building dates back to approximately 1895 and was originally developed as an industrial/manufacturing facility during the height of Rochester’s industrial expansion.
The broader Cascade District on the west edge of downtown Rochester was historically filled with factories,warehouses,machining operations,and industrial production facilities.
One source specifically references the building historically being used as a ball bearing factory, which aligns with the heavy manufacturing character of the area at the time. Like many older industrial buildings in Rochester, the structure later transitioned away from manufacturing as the city’s industrial base declined in the mid-to-late 20th century.
Historic Industrial Roots
The buildings within the Cascade District were originally occupied by:
- manufacturing companies,
- machine shops,
- industrial suppliers,
- warehousing operations, and related factory uses.
The architecture reflects classic Northeastern industrial design:
- heavy timber construction,
- exposed brick,
- oversized factory windows,
- freight elevators, and open-span floor layouts.
Despite renovations, many buildings intentionally preserve their industrial character, which is one of the district’s defining features
Redevelopment & Conversion
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the building and surrounding district underwent adaptive reuse redevelopment. Former industrial space was converted into loft apartments and commercial offices.
The redevelopment preserved many original industrial elements, including:
- exposed brick,
- heavy timber construction,
- large factory windows,
- high ceilings,
- open floorplans,
- and industrial-style architecture.
The property became part of Rochester’s early downtown loft conversion movement before downtown living became as common as it is today.
The Cascade District is a historic industrial redevelopment area located on the west side of downtown Rochester near West Main Street, Brown Street, and I-490. The district is centered around a collection of late-1800s and early-1900s industrial buildings that were originally used for manufacturing and warehouse operations during Rochester’s industrial peak.
Over time, many of these buildings sat underutilized as manufacturing left the city. Beginning in the late 1990s and continuing through today, the area gradually transitioned into a mixed-use loft and commercial district through adaptive reuse redevelopment.