Downtown Syracuse’s revitalization regains momentum

SYRACUSE — The revitalization of downtown Syracuse was rolling along with significant speed before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.

While the public-health crisis obviously presented many challenges for the businesses and people of downtown, the development progress never stopped. 

During the pandemic, $80 million of investment activity was completed in downtown Syracuse, according to Merike Treier, executive director of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc. And now, $172 million of development is either underway or announced.

“I do think the momentum is back,” says Treier, who notes that since the start of the pandemic in mid-March 2020, 32 new retail businesses have opened in downtown Syracuse. She spoke with CNYBJ on Aug. 12.

One of the signature development projects was the construction of the Salt City Market, which is located on the southern end of downtown at 484 South Salina St. and opened in January. Work on this project never had to halt during the COVID-19 shutdowns because it was deemed an essential project as it included affordable housing. 

The Salt City Market, downtown’s first new construction project in 10 years, brought 10 new restaurants, the first full-service grocery store in downtown, the Syracuse Cooperative Market, the Salt City Coffee & Bar, and an outdoor playground, says Treier.

The Downtown Committee at its virtual annual meeting in June recognized the Salt City Market and the Allyn Foundation with its Urban Innovation Award, recognizing a “successful, trailblazing activity in a previously underdeveloped area or facet of downtown Syracuse.”

“If you recall when Salt City Market was built, that was a surface parking lot that did experience a lot of challenges at that end of downtown,” Treier tells CNYBJ. “And to be able to have the type of experience we see there now with the Salt City Market on the ground floor, the housing on the upper levels, the office space … It’s just become such a community gathering space that has totally changed the foot traffic and who is coming into downtown Syracuse.”

In terms of key development projects underway now, Treier points to a pair on the eastern side of downtown. 

Developer Matt Paulus is converting the former Smith Restaurant Building, now called the Smith Building, into 38 affordable-housing units. “The affordable housing he’s going to provide there is going to help revitalize our eastern side of the downtown,” she says.

In addition, the Icon Companies is redeveloping a former office building at the corner of East Genesee Street and South Townsend Street into Corbett Corner, which will provide 24 apartments and commercial space. “That will be another noteworthy project in terms of adding more affordable housing to the market, but also changes the eastern gateway of downtown as you come into the district from the [Syracuse University] Hill,” says Treier.

Another important project she notes is the Mitzpah Towers in the Cathedral Square area of downtown. Tom Cerio is in the process of redeveloping that long-vacant property to provide a mix of 12 residential units on the upper floors, along with office space and an event venue and performance space.

The redevelopment of old, vacant, or dilapidated buildings into housing units continues a trend of the last five to 10 years that shows no signs of stopping. In 2020, more than 280 new apartments were completed in downtown Syracuse, which provided the space for another 12.5 percent increase in downtown’s population, according to the Downtown Committee. More than, 4,300 people now reside in downtown.

Another theme in downtown’s development is the spotlight now being shone on the cultural and performing-arts space.

“I think what we’re starting to see is a shift in some ways to some of the arts and culture and entertainment-type experiences,” says Treier. 

Specifically, she notes the Landmark Theatre’s renovation with the new seating and the marquee. Also, the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (The MOST) is in the process of securing funding for “a new state of the art, digital theatre.”

“So, we’re seeing investments being made in some of these entertainment destinations,” Treier says. “…We’re seeing a renewed focus on how to support these venues.”

And after more than a year where cultural and performing-arts venues couldn’t welcome crowds, more and more performances are getting scheduled for their stages and screens. 

Another pandemic-related challenge downtown Syracuse is still working through is the return of the workforce to offices from remote work. About 29,000 employees work for companies in downtown Syracuse. As of mid-August, “we think probably 35 to 40 percent of the workforce is back,” says Treier. 

“A lot of the employers are trying to be very flexible with their employees in terms of continuing to offer that remote work option while people are taking care of childcare — that primarily is what the need tends to be.”

More offices were expected to bring back more in-person staff after Labor Day after schools reopened.

“We have heard some of the larger companies, offices have reopened to let employees come back but based on someone’s job function it may be a supervisor-by-supervisor decision about what the team needs to work most efficiently, Treier says.”

As more employees return to downtown offices, more people are around to frequent downtown restaurants for lunch or after-work dinner or cocktails, as well as shop at downtown stores.