NY-332 in downtown Canandaigua

[bemybear]

We moved to Victor about 6 months ago and yesterday I walked around downtown Canandaigua and noticed a few things that rarely go together....

There are numerous buildings on both sides of 332 downtown that appear to be over 100 years old such as the Bemis Block building, 332 is 4 lanes with some turn lanes in spots and the sidewalk, especially on the East side of main street, is extraordinarily wide.

Does anybody know what caused the right of way that is now 332 to have been plotted so amazingly generously?  Did there used to be a 2 track railroad on the same corridor or something?  Were buildings moved to make it wider?  Walking around (instead of the usual drive) I was really astonished at just how enormous the setbacks and street are and usually financial realities preclude such huge non revenue generating streets, especially because downtown was presumably one of the first parts of Canandaigua to develop and it was at some point a very small village.

Thanks.

[vdeane]

It's worth noting that the divided highway in the city is fairly old, and the portion south of West Avenue was part of US 20/NY 5 prior to the 1950s when the bypass was built.

[seicer]

It always seemed to be an important feeder for US 20 and for entry into Rochester from points east. For a while, the Thruway ended at NY Route 332 and just fed into the heart of the city.

[webny99]

I too have often thought about how extraordinarily wide NY 332 is through there.

Canandaigua is one of the original Upstate NY settlements, older than both Rochester and Buffalo (I believe?).
It makes sense that it was expected to be a large city at one time, before being supplanted by the Erie Canal, then rail, then the Thruway, causing growth to occur at other more strategic population centers. That's not to say it's not booming - it's just a tourism-based boomtown instead of and industry-based one! 

[Rothman]

Boom town?  Canandaigua has been slowly leaking population for a few decades.

[NE2]

https://www.mpnnow.com/article/20160221/NEWS/160229965

[webny99]

Boom town?  Canandaigua has been slowly leaking population for a few decades.

The winter lows get lower, while the summer highs get higher. It is a happening place from May to October.

[Rothman]

Boom town?  Canandaigua has been slowly leaking population for a few decades.

The winter lows get lower, while the summer highs get higher. It is a happening place from May to October.

But it isn't a boom town.  Otherwise it would be growing.

[bemybear]

https://www.mpnnow.com/article/20160221/NEWS/160229965

That website is awesome!  It really shows that the street was always wide, and as I guessed, that it had rail tracks at one point etc.

I couldn't have asked for a more complete answer. 

Thanks all.   

[ixnay]

Boom town?  Canandaigua has been slowly leaking population for a few decades.

The winter lows get lower, while the summer highs get higher. It is a happening place from May to October.

But it isn't a boom town.  Otherwise it would be growing.

In the manner that eastern Sussex County, Delaware (whose tourist season is similar to Canandaigua's) has grown in the last 30+years.

ixnay

[ixnay]

Boom town?  Canandaigua has been slowly leaking population for a few decades.

The winter lows get lower, while the summer highs get higher. It is a happening place from May to October.

But it isn't a boom town.  Otherwise it would be growing.

Yeah, it's declined in year round population since 2000, following upticks in the '80's and '90s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canandaigua_(city)%2C_New_York

ixnay