05/01/2026
Historic buildings, structures, sites, and places have been the heart of our work over the past 50 years. To kick off 2026 we’d like to share a project from our archives that exemplifies the firm’s history of preservation advocacy.
Starting in 1985, founder John Bero collaborated with the Landmark Society of Western New York and the grassroots community organization “Friends of Holy Redeemer” to champion the cause for saving Holy Redeemer Church from its proposed demolition by the Catholic Diocese of Rochester. Designed by local architect Oscar Knebel, the church incorporated late 19th century Lombard Romanesque Revival elements with Bavarian Baroque towers. The copper “onion-shaped” domes atop the towers quickly became a defining feature of Rochester’s skyline. Following its dedication in 1877, the church served successive communities of German, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and Hispanic Catholics. When the Catholic Diocese of Rochester announced plans to demolish the complex in 1987, the Landmark Society of Western New York mounted a campaign to seek an adaptive reuse of the church. The LSWNY commissioned a feasibility study from the former Bergmann Associates (now Colliers Engineering & Design) and worked with the Friends of Holy Redeemer to campaign to save the church, with the LSWNY offering to assume ownership of the building, if necessary. John Bero participated on a panel of experts featured on WXXI radio discussing the feasibility and necessity of preserving Holy Redeemer Church. As a result of the efforts of this broad coalition, the church was designated a landmark by the City of Rochester in late 1988. Soon after, it was purchased and rehabilitated by Northside Church of Christ. The church still stands today as testament to the power of community preservation advocacy.
Historic photo courtesy of Democrat & Chronicle.
