ABOUT ROME RISES

During the Industrial Revolution, Rome gained the reputation as the “Copper City” and was home to many significant metal industries such as Revere Copper, Rome Cable and General Cable. As Rome’s manufacturing industries collapsed from the late 1960s through the early 2000s, the City was left with a number of vacant and abandoned industrial sites, including Griffiss Air Force Base. With the loss of industry, the city’s core declined as a strong retail and commercial center.

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The City recognizes that these former industrial sites are opportunities for new investment and development in downtown. Over the past decade, the City of Rome has a successful track record of bringing brownfield and underutilized sites back into productive use. Through an extensive branding and marketing effort as a part of the Brownfield Opportunity Area projects, the City has branded the downtown as Rome Rises to reflect the increasing momentum to revitalize the corridor and pride the City and its residents feel towards their community.