GREATER ROCHESTER AIRPORT




The passenger drop-off area of the old ROC in the 1960s. Except for its signature clock tower, the building was low-rise in design.

Monroe County opened a new million-dollar terminal complex at Greater Rochester Municipal Airport in 1953. The red-brick structure was designed to accommodate Rochester's needs through at least 1980.

In its opening configuration, the new ROC terminal had a single boarding gate for the airlines then serving the city: United, American, and Mohawk. Four aircraft stands were located on a curved apron fronting the building. Ticket counters for American and Mohawk were located to the left of the gate, while United's counter was to the right. A restaurant, cocktail lounge and gift shop were adjacent to the American ticket counter, along with an outdoor viewing gallery. Passengers claimed their luggage off of shelves adjacent to each airline's ticket counter.


A landside view of the then-new Rochester terminal in 1953.


An airside view of the new ROC facility, also taken shortly after the building opened. The airport restaurant is visible (behind the picture windows), with the outdoor viewing area in the foreground.
Above photos courtesy of James Kruggel


The airside of the ROC terminal in the late 1950s, showing an American Airlines Convair 340.


A two-view card of Rochester's terminal in the late 1950s. The top photo shows the original outdoor viewing gallery, which was enclosed and connected to a new gate area in the early 1960s.
Courtesy of Jim Kruggel


Late-1950s proposals for the ROC terminal's first expansion called for two new ground-level piers radiating from an expanded terminal block. When the expansion went ahead in 1960-1961, the left concourse (for United and Mohawk) was built, but instead of the second concourse a new departure lounge was built on the west side of the building.
Courtesy of Jim Kruggel

The airport underwent its first expansion in the early 1960s. A new 'finger' concourse protruding onto the apron was built for United and Mohawk, with three parking positions for each carrier. The concourse was accessed through the original boarding gate between the American/Mohawk and United ticket counters.

At the same time, a new departure lounge was built for American, complete with three parking positions. The former outdoor viewing area was enclosed, creating a concourse that connected American's ticket counter to its new gate area. American also added its own baggage claim area behind the airport restaurant.


An architect's rendering of ROC following the building's first expansion in 1961-1962. The United/Mohawk finger is visible on the right and the new American gate lounge and baggage claim area are at left. Jetways would not appear at the airport until the 1980s, when ground-level devices were installed.


This aerial view of ROC was taken in 1961. American's new wing (at right) is under construction, but work has not yet begun on the United/Mohawk pier.
Courtesy of Jim Kruggel


A view inside the Rochester terminal, showing the new concourse built across the former outdoor viewing area. The airport's restaurant is behind the brick wall at left.


Looking across the ramp towards American's new departure lounge in the mid-1960s. The former outdoor viewing area, now glassed in to form a connecting walkway, is at center left. Note that a new observation area has been constructed atop American's gate addition.


A proposal for yet another expansion of the Rochester terminal, this time from 1967-1968. In the late 1960s, local officials were considering construction of a joint airport with nearby Buffalo, and as a result the expansion was shelved. The terminal would not be significantly enlarged until the late 1970s.
Courtesy of James Kruggel


A view of United's ROC ticket counter in 1966.
Above photos courtesy of James Kruggel

As American, United, and finally Mohawk introduced jet aircraft in the 1960s, the building was amply suited to handle them. By the early 1970s, American was even running DC10s through Rochester, which required new airstairs for passenger boarding.


A map of ROC in 1971. The layout of the building has not really changed since the round of additions made in 1961, nor have the airlines serving it. From a United Airlines service guide


Two views of ROC in the late 1970s, showing the curbside (top) and the rather crowded ticket lobby. It's clear that it's time for some expansion.

Allegheny acquired Mohawk in 1972 and took over MO's facilities in Rochester. Like many other middle-tier airports, Rochester was quiet through the 1970s - until Deregulation in 1978, when the number of airlines serving the city skyrocketed.

Renovation and expansion on both concourses in 1978-1979 added individual departure lounges and eight jetway loading bridges, allowing covered boarding for the first time in the airport's history. Allegheny became USAir in 1979 and added the "USAir Club" at the end of the concourse for its frequent fliers a few years later.


An artist's rendering of Allegheny's new jetbridge-equipped gates on the Rochester concourse. The gates are accessed from ground level, requiring lenghty access ramps from the gate area.
Courtesy of James Kruggel

By the early 1980s, however, conditions at the ROC terminal were beginning to show signs of strain. New airlines such as Eastern and Piedmont, as well as start-ups like Empire and People Express, all began flights to Rochester. People Express initially operated out of a small shed-like addition to the terminal (after it was acquired by Continental in 1987, flights moved back into the main building and the shed was demolished.)


An illustration by James Kruggel showing the Rochester terminal in the mid-1980s. People Express' 'shed' addition to the terminal is visible at lower right.


Diagrams of the ROC terminal in the mid-1980s, showing the 1977 renovations to the USAir concourse and the People Express 'shed.'
Courtesy of James Kruggel


Each of the airlines also renovated their baggage claim areas - the photo above shows the new carousel installed by United in 1980, replacing its stationary shelf. American added a carousel around the same time, and Allegheny/USAir built a new baggage claim area behind its ticket counter (see maps above).


A postcard showing ROC after jetways were added in the late 1970s.
Courtesy of James Kruggel

Despite the terminal modifications in 1978-79 and subsequent renovations to the terminal lobby, it was increasingly clear a newer, more modern terminal would be needed. The city scouted locations around the airfield and ultimately agreed that the existing site offered the best access to local roads. Officials spent much of the 1980s wrangling over the design of the new facility - one airport commissioner even resigned after his preferred design was discarded.


The old ROC terminal in 1986, as seen from an aircraft preparing to depart.


A rendering of one of the proposals for ROC's new terminal. The plan called for two new concourses, along with a much larger main building. Baggage claim and ticketing would be on the ground level, although each would have its own drop-off/pick-up lanes. A second-level lobby, hotel and parking garage would connect the landside with the airside. This is very similar to the setup built in Milwaukee around the same time.


A view of ROC in 1987, taken from an aircraft passing by on final approach. Note the jetways that have been added to the gates, as well as congestion on the ramp area.
Photos by James Kruggel


A diagram of ROC in 1987, just before work began on the new terminal. The facility's layout would change dramatically over the next few years. From the Airport Pocket Guide courtesy of Tom Moore

Officials finally selected a design for the new terminal and work got underway on the site in 1988. A new two-level passenger concourse and half of a new landside terminal was built on the east end of the site, opening in summer 1990. When it was complete, most of the airlines moved in; USAir stayed in the old terminal, operating out of a temporary concourse while the second half of the terminal was built above it.


A final view of the Rochester terminal from 1987. A remote parking lot (top right) has already been constructed to allow construction of a new parking structure in the original lot.


A diagram showing the phased construction of ROC's new terminal between 1988 and 1991. The facility was built in pieces to allow the old terminal to remain in operation during construction.


The new east concourse nears completion in March 1990. Note American's temporary gate area (the white trailers near the AA 727). American's original gate area has been closed and will be demolished shortly to make way for the first half of the landside terminal.


A bulldozer claws into the former American gate area - the first portion of the 1953 terminal to be demolished - in early 1990.


Construction continues at ROC in early 1991. The east concourse is open and serving all airlines except USAir. USAir is now operating out of a temporary concourse while construction on the new west concourse is underway. The 1953 terminal is still handling all ticketing and baggage claim functions, although the first half of the landside terminal is almost finished (note the temporary connectors linking it to the older facility).

The new terminal was officially completed in late 1991. The old terminal was systematically razed during construction, and today no trace of it remains.


The new ROC as seen from a passing airliner in the mid-1990s. Compare this with the photo from 1987 to get an idea of how much larger the new complex is.
Photo by James C. Kruggel


A satellite view of ROC in 1999. The only remnant of the former terminal is the dark strip of apron adjacent to the west concourse - this strip was once the site of the old terminal's concourse.

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