A look at the proposed T-Mobile call center coming to Henrietta

HENRIETTA, N.Y. (WHEC) — Developers of a long-planned T-Mobile call center in Henrietta are now offering a look at their facility.

A new site development plan submitted to the town included updated renderings and scaled-down ambitions.

“They’ve got a couple of things they need to do before they can put a shovel in the ground. But it sounds like it’s moving forward,” declared Town Supervisor Stephen Shultz.

Schultz said the plan for a new call center on a now snowy piece of land off Clay Road is the farthest it’s come after years of promises and false starts.

Last month, the developers went to the town planning board with their new plan for the center, proposing a smaller sized building, only 83,000 square feet, about 33% smaller than original projections of more than 100,000, and about 1,000 new jobs, fewer than earlier predictions.

But Schultz hopes, still a boost for Henrietta.

“Those people often look to go out to eat, whether it’s eating lunch, after work, go out for a drink after work, there’s a lot of positive impact on the local businesses,” he said. “Also, stopping at the supermarket or the drugstore on the way home, getting gas, there’s a lot.”

The location, right behind Amazon’s warehouse, just off 390, and on an RTS bus route has plenty to offer.

But the call center plan, first announced in 2019, was stalled, first by an unsuccessful lawsuit from Attorney General Tish James and other AGs to block the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, then by COVID, and by talk of putting it in downtown Rochester instead.

Now, a new statement from T-Mobile Friday said “T-Mobile remains committed to bringing its new Customer Experience Center to the Greater Rochester Area.”

And the site development plan gives a peek at it.

The landscaping on the plan is more than just for looks. Because of apartments next door, the facility will have to satisfy town requirements with a buffer to protect them, visually and from noise.

Schultz says he’s not holding his breath and he still wishes the project could have started sooner, like shortly after Henrietta’s previous Frontier call center shut down and let its employees go.

“There were a bunch of people who lost their employment when that old call center shut down. So, maybe they will be able to re-find work in that same industry at this new call center.”

In looking at the plans, the Henrietta planning board called on the developers to work with RTS to ideally locate a bus stop near the facility, and maybe build a sidewalk so employees can safely get back and forth between the bus stop and the building.

The plans for the center are below (mobile users, click here):

TMobile call center plans by News10NBC on Scribd