"If not Ren Square, what?" (Urban Journal, August 6) has several related components. Underlying them all is the fallacy of the bus-terminal concept. The alternative of widened sidewalks where existing buildings will be replaced, on both Main and Clinton, so that on-street buses can be accommodated, would avoid time- and fuel-wasting maneuvers, and eliminate future higher operating and maintenance costs. Modest heated waiting space can be built, with arcades offering protection from rain and snow. A huge indoor "terminal" has never been requested by riders, and will actually slow service.

What, then, to do with the site? First, restore existing 19th-century buildings (the complex that was the Edwards Department Store and the Granite Building) to a mix of residential and business use with first-floor retail.

Second, demolish truly obsolete mid-century buildings on the eastern half of the block and seek funding for a modest arts complex: a mid-size and small theater (which wouldn't replace existing facilities) intermixed with commercial spaces at ground level (the extent will depend upon what happens to Midtown Plaza). And third, build a new MCC downtown campus as currently planned. Keep the existing Mortimer Street Garage.

This can't be accomplished in a vacuum. If the proposed Paetec office tower can be accomplished without having to demolish most of Midtown Plaza and some of its ancillary office buildings, then state funds for demolition might be redirected. The former Sibley's Department Store is ideally suited for mixed-use retail, residential, and hotel use, as has been demonstrated across the country.

Modest steps to provide parking at the Auditorium Center and better link it to the thriving Neighborhood of the Arts will satisfy large-theater requirements. Already promised funds might also be redirected to deal with the new energy paradigm, which suggests the importance of creating an intermodal bus station at the railroad.

With creative re-use of historically significant buildings, hundreds of residential units could be created at less cost than demolition and new construction would require, and in less time, and with more character and market appeal.

The sum of all these parts could provide the critical mass of downtown residents and workers to make entertainment, dining, and commercial space viable again without burdening our children's generation with huge maintenance and operating costs.

And the unique and treasured character of Main Street, dominated by its six-to-seven-story 19th-century buildings, can be preserved.

RICHARD ROSEN, ROCHESTER