Developer plans to start work on Onondaga Hotel this summer

SYRACUSE — The developer of the proposed 240-room Onondaga Hotel in downtown Suyracuse says the plan is to begin demolition work this summer and that construction work should take about two years to complete. “So let’s say mid-2027 for an opening date,” Suraj Patel, president of Sun Development and Management said in his remarks at the Jan. 24 project announcement. The Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA) has selected Sun Development and Management Companies, one of the largest Hilton hotel developers in the nation, to build the upcoming hotel at the corner of East Fayette Street and South Warren Street. M. Lemp Park currently occupies the site, which is just north of the South Warren Street parking garage. “We’ve had a lot of housing development, which we know we need, but with some of the housing development, we’ve seen some hotel rooms come offline and that’s presented us with some challenges,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said to open his remarks at the Jan. 24 project announcement. The mayor was among the officials who discussed project details in the City of Syracuse’s office space in One Park Place at 300 S. State St. in downtown Syracuse. Sun Companies has applied to SIDA to support the project, including sales and use tax, mortgage-recording tax, and property taxes, according to the City of Syracuse announcement. In total, the project will result in about 330 construction jobs, 52 permanent jobs, and $87 million in new investment for downtown Syracuse, according to the city’s announcement. The newly constructed nine-story, Onondaga Hotel will be a part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, a high-end boutique brand that focuses on specialty, unique designs rooted in history and local culture. Hotel amenities, including the lobby lounge, restaurant, bar, ballroom, and break-out rooms for conferences and meetings will all be located on the top level, providing a roof-top view of the city and community space for residents and visitors.

Project origin

The City of Syracuse had partnered with SIDA, which issued a request for proposals for the site that it owns at the corner of East Fayette Street and South Warren Street Crews will build the hotel property on both the SIDA property and additional land currently occupied by the “structurally compromised Warren Street Garage right next door,” Walsh said. As a part of the project, Sun Companies will also acquire and demolish the privately-owned Warren Street Garage, per the city. To support the demolition of the parking garage, Syracuse will provide a $400,000 Restore New York grant, Walsh noted in his remarks. “By repurposing this publicly owned land, working closely with our partners, we’re not only meeting the growing demand for hotel rooms and hospitality services in our city, but we’re activating a new, vibrant space in the heart of downtown,” the mayor said. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon used his remarks to announce a $500,000 grant from the county’s hotel initiative, representing the largest grant the county has awarded from the program. “I want to congratulate the City, specifically, for having the vision to go out and look at your real estate and look at how that real estate can perform as we as a community strive to become the hub for memory-technology manufacturing in North America,” McMahon told the gathering in the Burnett Executive Conference Room at One Park Place. Merike Treier, executive director of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc., added, “The Onondaga Hotel will fulfill a critical need in the local tourism and convention sectors, support additional tourism activity, and create a new third space for our downtown residents and businesses.”