Dana Miller

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Commissioner, Neighborhood and Business Development, City of Rochester

Years in current role: 4

What opportunities do you see for growth or development in the Rochester area?

There are currently great opportunities for housing and business development in the Rochester area, specifically in the city of Rochester. There are substantial areas available for housing development in the city, both for single-family residential as well as multi-unit housing. There are also significant spaces available for business development opportunities. The redevelopment of the Bull’s Head area, multiple development projects along Main Street, future Inner Loop North fill-in, and High Falls State Park are just a few examples of major opportunities that are in development.

What’s one project your team is especially proud of?

Our Buy the Block program has continued to be incredibly successful in creating new single-family homes in the city. We have completed 32 homes in the Northwest quadrant and are building another 32 in the Southwest quadrant. Due to cost considerations, it has been very difficult to attract homebuilders who will construct new homes in the city. We have large numbers of empty lots, and we need new homes built on these lots. Using some funding from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA), we are able to build these new homes and then sell them to income-eligible families.

What’s a lesson you learned the hard way in your career?

Teamwork means working with a team. It is all too easy to try and do everything yourself, but at some point you completely understand that a team can do much more than an individual. The task then becomes getting the most out of your team, and that involves guidance, motivation and goal setting. I believe in the African proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

How do you see local government or policy changes impacting your sector?

Local government changes are fairly constant and predictable. The real challenge for us in the short-term is the level of unpredictable change at the federal level. Much of our housing and business development funding and support comes via Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and uncertainty right now is making it difficult to plan for projects that will be funded in our next fiscal year that starts July 1, 2025.

What’s your favorite building or architectural feature in Rochester?

The view from my office window is of the Kodak Tower, their worldwide headquarters. Completed in 1914, it is both historic and majestic in its role in our skyline. It is no longer the tallest building, but is the tallest structure in its space, located away from the group of taller buildings to the southeast. As an amateur photographer I appreciate what Kodak did to create cameras, photographic film, chemicals and paper. I also appreciate their creation of a technology, an industry, a company, and substantial infrastructure in our city. All of this is reflected in the magnificent building I see from my window every day.

This profile is part of Rochester Business Journal's Power List for Construction & Real Estate for 2025. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree.