City of Syracuse seeks proposals for three aging SCSD buildings

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The City of Syracuse on Thursday issued requests for proposals (RFPs) to repurpose and redevelop three aging buildings used by the Syracuse City School District (SCSD).

The sites, which the City owns, are each nearly a century old, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Anthony Davis, superintendent of the Syracuse City School District, said in the City’s announcement.

The properties include the district’s administrative offices on Harrison Street; the Johnson Vocational Center on East Genesee Street; and the maintenance facility in the former Smith Vocational Tech building on Park Avenue.

For each of the three sites, the City is also issuing requests for proposals for those interested in providing leased space for the staff and programs currently housed at the affected SCSD facilities.

The RFPs say the City’s priorities include creating permanent job opportunities for city residents; adding quality housing units in the city; and returning the properties to the tax rolls. The City is seeking developers with a “proven ability to provide creative and inclusive land use and development strategies for the three sites.”

The City will accept inquiries until April 26, and proposals for all six opportunities are due on May 23. The City will also hold walk-throughs for each of the facilities that are up for sale.

More information on the RFPs is available here, and those interested can request copies of the RFPs here.

https://www.syr.gov/Departments/Purchase/Bids-Active

https://www.syr.gov/Departments/Purchase/RFP-Information/Request-RFP-Document

About the properties

SCSD administrative offices – 725 Harrison St.

The 62,920–square–foot building is on a 2.38-acre site between University Hill and the downtown area and formerly housed the Washington Irving School. It was built in 1927 and served as an elementary school. It became the school district central office in 1984.

Johnson Vocational Center – 571-581 E. Genesee St.

The 50,312–square–foot building is on a 0.76-acre site on E. Genesee St., west of Interstate 81 and was built prior to World War II as an automobile dealership. It houses an alternative–education program that delivers GED preparation programs as well as hands on technical–training programs.

SCSD maintenance facility – 200-232 Park Ave. and Plum St.

The 28,464–square–foot building is on a 1.06-acre site near the western edge of downtown Syracuse near Leavenworth Park and the Park Avenue neighborhood. Built in 1936, the one- and two-story building has been used as a workshop and office space for several decades.