SYRACUSE, N.Y. — National Grid’s downtown Syracuse office building was lit up on Tuesday for the first time in more than a year, marking the completion of the first phase of exterior upgrades and repairs to the company’s landmark building at 300 Erie Boulevard West.
The lighting upgrades were part of a multi-phase, exterior renovation of the building that will continue through 2025. The new lighting system can display millions of colors, as well as add motion and fading to lighting schemes.
And, in keeping with National Grid’s efforts to encourage smart energy use, the lighting system utilizes energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) fixtures, the company said in its announcement.
“Our Downtown Syracuse building is more than an office,” Alberto Bianchetti, regional director of customer and external affairs, said in the National Grid announcement. “It’s a point of civic pride for people in this community and a part of our region’s history and character, as one of our nation’s finest representations of art deco design.”
Representatives of the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, downtown Syracuse businesses, and local historic preservation entities joined National Grid officials to throw the switch, turning on the building’s more than 600 LED light fixtures at 5:41 p.m. Tuesday evening.
National Grid says the illumination started with glowing white, eventually fading into National Grid’s identifying colors. The illumination then continued scrolling through a series of pre-programmed lighting schemes that will be used to celebrate holidays such as Independence Day and Christmas; celebrate local institutions including Syracuse University and Le Moyne College; and commemorate solemn events like the September 11th attacks and Pan Am 103 bombing.