Constellation move could bring 350 employees to downtown Rochester

Constellation Brands will move its headquarters from Victor to downtown Rochester and the Aqueduct Building campus, officials are expected to announce Wednesday.

A mid-afternoon news conference is being planned, with a guest list that includes Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The state also will pledge additional assistance to a developing plan that would strip the Broad Street bridge off the old Erie Canal aqueduct, creating an open-air public space and water feature.

Constellation's move, confirmed by three sources, could bring 350 employees to the Center City. The company would take the entirety of the complex, which fronts Broad Street on the west bank of the Genesee River.

A timeline for the move was not immediately known. Once complete, Constellation would become one of the largest downtown employers.

A message left with the company was not immediately returned.

The building is owned by an investment team in which Constellation executive chairman Rob Sands is a minority member. That group was planning an $18 million overhaul of the property into a mixed-use residential and office development.

Constellation was shopping for a larger headquarters space. But Sands ownership involvement in the Aqueduct Building complex is said to be more of a complicating factor than a deciding one, requiring additional filings and disclosures by the publicly traded company. The downtown property allows room for expansion. The company — one of Ontario County's largest employers — also has offices in Canandaigua, which will remain, sources said.

The company employs roughly 9,000 people worldwide across 40 locations and more than 100 brands – including Modelo Especial and Corona Extra beer, as well as wine and spirits and, of late, cannabis-infused products.

Check democratandchronicle.com for updates to this developing story.

Contact reporter Brian Sharp at bdsharp@gannett.com or at 585-258-2275. Follow him on Twitter @sharproc. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.