SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Downtown Syracuse had a total of 20 projects worth more than $180 million in downtown investment that created seven new Class A office headquarters during the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
In addition, the activity included more than 135 new housing units and enhanced public infrastructure and tourism amenities.
The information is part of the State of Downtown report delivered during the annual meeting luncheon of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse Inc., which was held Wednesday at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter.
“We’ve seen another year of incredible levels of investment that have moved Downtown Syracuse forward and demonstrate the belief and commitment to our city center.” Merike Treier, executive director of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, said in a news release about the event. “2023 reinforced Downtown’s role as a place where people can connect and come together. We’ve seen what happens when our community bands together with a collective voice and how this forward-thinking has paved the way for the active, vibrant, Downtown we know today.”
The event attracted about 450 members of the downtown community, including property owners, businesses, residents, and other stakeholders, the Downtown Committee said.
Downtown Awards of Excellence
The Downtown Committee recognized the ongoing City Center revitalization project with the Urban Innovation Award. It’s a $37 million project to redevelop the former Sibley’s department store. The Redhouse Arts Center and the Hayner Hoyt Corporation partnered on the project.
It also honored the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) with the Heart of Downtown Award. The award recognizes efforts that “positively affect and inform the way that people feel about Downtown Syracuse, and many times, our honorees are recognized for the way that they make people feel,” the Downtown Committee said. The MOST is “built on a foundation” of providing hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education throughout the community and to their visitors annually.
The Downtown Committee also recognized the Erie Canal Museum with the Perfect Partner Award, an honor given to individuals and organizations “whose initiatives, advocacy and commitment positively impact Downtown Syracuse.” The Erie Canal Museum recently partnered with Talking Cursive Brewery for Beer, Bikes and Barges, a guided bike ride along the Empire State Trail that finishes at a local brewery, “expanding the audience for downtown’s many amenities.”