Brooklyn Pickle opens second North Carolina restaurant

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Brooklyn Pickle is continuing its expansion south with a second location in North Carolina, the company announced. Brooklyn Pickle Raleigh celebrated its grand opening on May 6 with food and giveaways. The owners of this location, Peter and Jane Kim, are partnering with Brooklyn Pickle company owner Craig Kowadla on what is the restaurant’s sixth […]

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Brooklyn Pickle is continuing its expansion south with a second location in North Carolina, the company announced.

Brooklyn Pickle Raleigh celebrated its grand opening on May 6 with food and giveaways.

The owners of this location, Peter and Jane Kim, are partnering with Brooklyn Pickle company owner Craig Kowadla on what is the restaurant’s sixth location — this one at 4025 Lake Boone Trail in The Marketplace at Lake Boone.

“Brooklyn Pickle is known for deliciously overstuffed sandwiches and a unique homemade menu which makes it a perfect addition to Raleigh,” Jane Kim said in a Brooklyn Pickle news release. “When we first tried the Pickle’s food years ago, we were instantly hooked! We had never had their amazing chicken riggies before. Their sandwiches are piled high with freshly sliced meats, sliced so thin that each bite is indescribably tender. Having known Craig for many years, we knew this would be an excellent partnership.”

Kowadla and co-owner Steve Ziff opened the first North Carolina Brooklyn Pickle location last fall in Southern Pines. He told CNYBJ at the time that he was already scouting additional locations in the Tar Heel State.

“It’s an exciting time in The Triangle,” he said of the Research Triangle region (Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill) surrounding the newest location. “We look forward to bringing Brooklyn Pickle to Raleigh and being part of the growth of this vibrant area.”

The new restaurant will offer plenty of what Brooklyn Pickle is famous for — giant sandwiches, soups, hot entrees, and desserts as well as New York favorites like chicken riggies and macaroni and cheese. Diners can also purchase pickles individually, by the quart, and by the gallon.

“We’ll also offer catering, which is very popular with New York and Southern Pines customers,” Kim said. “Additionally, we’ll be catering lunches, office parties, and expect to have a substantial following with pharmaceutical reps who love to deliver Brooklyn Pickle lunches to clients.”

Store Manager Isabel Tangarife trained in New York. “Building a strong team culture is the most important thing because when my crew feels like they are part of a real community that supports one another, that love extends to our customers,” she said.

Brooklyn Pickle opened its first restaurant in Syracuse in 1975. Today, it has three Syracuse–area eateries, one in Utica, and two in North Carolina.

Wells College campus aerial view (WC website)

Wells College cites financial problems in decision to close

Education & Training, Subscriber Only

AURORA — Wells College, which has operated in Aurora on the eastern side of Cayuga Lake for 156 years, will soon be closing. Citing financial difficulties, the Cayuga County school on April 29 announced plans to close at the end of this academic semester. “As trustees, we have a fiduciary responsibility to the institution; we

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AURORA — Wells College, which has operated in Aurora on the eastern side of Cayuga Lake for 156 years, will soon be closing.

Citing financial difficulties, the Cayuga County school on April 29 announced plans to close at the end of this academic semester.

“As trustees, we have a fiduciary responsibility to the institution; we have determined after a thorough review that the College does not have adequate financial resources to continue,” Marie Chapman Carroll, chair of the Wells College board of trustees, and Jonathan Gibralter, president of Wells College, said in a letter posted on the school’s website.

The college’s 156th and final commencement ceremony is set for the morning of May 18.

It’ll be the second prominent private Central New York college to close in the last year, following the closure of Cazenovia College on June 30, 2023.

The Wells College letter went on to acknowledge that many small colleges like Wells have faced “enormous financial challenges,” which have been “exacerbated” by the global pandemic, a shrinking pool of undergraduate students nationwide, inflationary pressures, and an “overall negative sentiment towards higher education.”

“But revenues, unfortunately, are not projected to be sufficient for Wells’ long-term financial stability,” Carroll and Gibralter said.

Wells College says it has reached an agreement with Manhattanville University in Westchester County to become the school’s “preferred teach-out partner,” helping to “ensure that Wells’ current students matriculate and our institutional mission and legacy continue.”

A teach-out agreement is a contract between schools that will allow students to finish their program of study at one or more schools, per the federal government’s website dedicated to federal student aid.

“We have developed additional teach-out agreements with these other teach-out partners: Excelsior University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Keuka College, Le Moyne College, Mercy University, SUNY Brockport,” the Wells officials said in the letter.

Wells College says it has created a website which lists additional information. “We will continue to update this website and communicate with our stakeholders as we finalize plans for the closure of Wells,” per the letter.

Reaction

New York State Senator Rachel May (D–Syracuse) issued a statement on X on the day of the closure announcement, reacting to the news.

“This is devastating news. Wells College has been a venerable and creative institution, educating students, employing faculty and staff, and serving as a good neighbor in Aurora for over a century and a half. The winds of change in higher education these days just proved too strong for them to withstand. I have spoken with President Gibralter and offered any assistance we can provide to the college, its employees, students, and the local community in this transition,” May said.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an accreditation organization, on May 2 took action against Wells College, saying “the institution failed to inform the Commission of closure in a timely manner or to properly plan for closure with prior approval through substantive change.”

The Middle States Commission is requiring Wells to complete a monitoring report by May 13, demonstrating evidence that the institution has achieved and can sustain ongoing compliance with its standards. The college also needs to submit “a comprehensive, implementable teach-out plan and signed teach-out agreements with appropriate teach-out partner institutions.”

Wells College was founded in 1868 by Henry Wells, who was one of the founders of the American Express Company and Wells Fargo & Company.

Wells Seminary, as it was originally called, had an original goal “to educate women who would further society’s “intellectual culture” as wives and mothers,” a mission that evolved as the campus grew, per the history page on the Wells College website.

Raymond Corp new buildilng (p)(Raymond Corporation)

Raymond Corporation buys buildings in Kirkwood

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Manufacturing & Engineering, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

KIRKWOOD — The Raymond Corporation has purchased two buildings on connecting parcels Kirkwood, expanding its permanent presence in Broome County and setting the stage for future growth. The company acquired two parcels located at 191 Corporate Drive and 196 Corporate Drive in the town of Kirkwood on April 1. According to Broome County property records,

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KIRKWOOD — The Raymond Corporation has purchased two buildings on connecting parcels Kirkwood, expanding its permanent presence in Broome County and setting the stage for future growth.

The company acquired two parcels located at 191 Corporate Drive and 196 Corporate Drive in the town of Kirkwood on April 1. According to Broome County property records, Raymond paid $9.8 million for the parcels, which offer a combined 19.1 acres of land and nearly 190,000 square feet of building for warehouse and light manufacturing space.

Raymond, which manufactures forklift trucks and material-handling products, has operated in the buildings for several years under a service agreement with the previous owner, Michael Field, company president and CEO, says. “It was the right time for us to take direct ownership.”

Owning the buildings gives the company more flexibility going forward, he notes, and provides some room for additional expansion in the future.

“It’s a good location,” he says, with nearby access to major highways.

Raymond will maintain the existing 20 employees at the facility and may add more in the future, Field says. The company will also do a little clean up and maintenance on the buildings now that it owns them, including removing some equipment from the previous owner that Raymond does not need.

As the company further cements its presence in Broome County, things continue to ramp up at its headquarters in Greene.

“We’re continuing to accelerate our capacity in the Greene facility in regards to production,” Field says. That includes running two and three shifts in some production areas so that supply can keep up with demand.

Field cites continued growth in ecommerce for the steadily increasing demand for Raymond’s products with a continued warehouse workforce shortage driving customers to look for automation and efficiency solutions.

One of the company’s newest products is an integrated safety tether that works with Raymond’s order-picking trucks to increase operator safety. The tether ensures that the truck won’t work unless the operator has connected the tether correctly to their harness.

“We’re always looking for new approaches and new technology to apply,” Field says.

Raymond is also looking to hire more employees. Currently, it employs nearly 3,000 people. Along with the new Kirkwood site and its headquarters in Greene, Raymond has a third New York location in Syracuse and another in Iowa.

Raymond is part of Toyota Industries Corporation.

All but one CNY sub-region added jobs in the last year

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Subscriber Only

The Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, and Elmira regions all gained jobs between March 2023 and this past March. Bucking the trend, the Ithaca metro area posted a slight decline in jobs in that same 12-month period, according to the latest monthly employment report that the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) issued on

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SU’s IVMF to use $3.5M Google grant to train veterans on AI, cybersecurity

Education & Training, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s (SU) D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) will use a $3.5 million grant from Google to help train veterans on two pertinent topics in the technology world. SU’s IVMF will use the funding to help train transitioning service members, veterans, and military-connected spouses on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI)

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SU’s IVMF will use the funding to help train transitioning service members, veterans, and military-connected spouses on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) topics, per an April 26 announcement.

The funding — part of the tech giant Google’s $75 million AI Opportunity Fund — will provide free access to Google’s AI Essentials Course and the Google cybersecurity certificate to Onward to Opportunity (O2O) participants.

The IVMF is one of the fund’s first recipients, SU noted.

“We’re excited to partner with Google on this new initiative, which will help make AI training universally accessible throughout the country,” J. Michael Haynie, SU vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and the executive director of the IVMF, said in the SU announcement. “With this new Google AI Essentials Course, we are confident that we can arm veterans and military spouses with the training and skills necessary to begin to leverage the technology and put it to use in their career.”

Haynie spoke at a press conference about the grant funding April 26 in Washington, D.C.

According to Google, its online AI Essentials course, taught by the tech giant’s industry experts, will train people to use generative AI effectively in their day-to-day work, SU said. Participants will receive “practical, hands-on experience” with AI — including best practices and how to responsibly use AI — and those who complete the course will earn a certificate from Google to share with their network and with potential employers.

The course normally costs $49 per person, but with the Google grant, IVMF participants can learn these skills at no cost.

“AI offers significant opportunities to accelerate economic growth, particularly if people have access to the right resources and training,” James Manyika, senior VP for research, technology and society at Google, said in the SU announcement. “Google.org’s new AI Opportunity Fund and Google’s AI Essentials Course are important next steps in our commitment to ensure everyone, everywhere can access AI training. No single employer or policymaker will be able to modernize workforce programs on their own —we are committed to collaborating across industry, civil society, and government to ensure the opportunities created by new technologies are available to everyone.”

Haynie said the IVMF team provides training, education, and technical assistance to more than 20,000 service members, veterans, and military-connected family members annually. He also recently said one of the most asked about questions from the veteran community involved ways to learn more about AI and its everyday uses, per the SU announcement.

“We’ve found that military veterans are eager to embrace the technology in their professional life to increase productivity, whether while running their own small business or working for one of America’s employers. We were working to find the right answer for them, but with an increasingly crowded marketplace of resources and training it was difficult to identify the right opportunity…enter our friends at Google. This training will have a lasting impact on veterans and military spouses,” Haynie said of Google.org, which has supported IVMF with its efforts at preparing transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses to bring their skills to civilian careers since 2013.

UMEA Me'Shae Brooks-Rolling (UMEA provided)

UMEA to search for new executive director

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SYRACUSE — The Upstate Minority Economic Alliance (UMEA) is set to search for its next executive director. Me’Shae Brooks-Rolling, who has served as UMEA executive director since 2019, will leave the role at the end of June. The UMEA board of directors has accepted a letter of resignation from Brooks-Rolling. She will continue leading UMEA

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SYRACUSE — The Upstate Minority Economic Alliance (UMEA) is set to search for its next executive director.

Me’Shae Brooks-Rolling, who has served as UMEA executive director since 2019, will leave the role at the end of June. The UMEA board of directors has accepted a letter of resignation from Brooks-Rolling.

She will continue leading UMEA through June 30 and plans to “pursue new opportunities,” according to an April 24 announcement from the alliance.

Founded in 2015, UMEA is a nonprofit that describes itself as Central New York’s “first and only” minority chamber of commerce. Its office is located at 115 W. Fayette St. in Syracuse.

Brooks-Rolling spent her tenure as executive director developing operations, growing membership, delivering programs and services, providing technical assistance, and cultivating a statewide network of stakeholders and supporters on behalf of minority and women-owned business enterprises, per the announcement.

In the resignation letter, Brooks-Rolling said the following about her time leading UMEA: “Serving the needs of UMEA’s members and working on behalf of minority entrepreneurs and business owners has been an utmost honor. It has been a pleasure working with this board of directors under Sheena Solomon’s leadership. I’ve had the privilege of shepherding the chamber out of start-up phase and facilitating its emergence into its current phase of steady growth. I’m excited that my successor, when appointed, will have the opportunity to lead UMEA from growth to maturity. I will continue to be a champion of minority & women-owned business enterprises, and an ambassador for UMEA, Syracuse/Central New York’s premier minority chamber of commerce.”

The board of directors said it will work with Brooks-Rolling to implement a plan that “ensures continuity” in membership services and uninterrupted operations during the transition. The transition plan includes the board organizing a search process to identify and hire its next executive director.

“UMEA has been blessed to be led by Me’Shae for the past 4 years. We appreciate her commitment to UMEA and our members,” Solomon, president of the UMEA board of directors, said in the announcement. “UMEA became an award-winning chamber of commerce during Me’Shae’s tenure. She has full support from our Board of Directors as she transitions into her new opportunities. Me’Shae leaves UMEA ready for its next executive director. Her legacy of leadership is forever embedded in this organization.”

UMEA says its mission statement is “harnessing the economic power of the minority community for the benefit of the region.” UMEA’s vision statement is “enhancing greater regional prosperity through enhanced minority economic opportunity.”

Michelle Gladle (Navy Office of Community Outreach)

CNY native participates in bilateral exercise in Japan

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Petty Officer 1st Class Michelle Gladle, a native of Central New York, recently participated in Exercise Keen Edge 2024 while serving the U.S. Navy in Japan. Gladle graduated from Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square in 2002. The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in

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Petty Officer 1st Class Michelle Gladle, a native of Central New York, recently participated in Exercise Keen Edge 2024 while serving the U.S. Navy in Japan.

Gladle graduated from Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square in 2002.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Central New York

“Growing up, learned to continue to have integrity, especially when no one is looking,” says Gladle.

She joined the Navy 20 years ago. Today, Gladle serves as an operations specialist.

“I joined the Navy because I wanted to do something big for my country,” says Gladle. “I watched 9/11 happen in my business class in high school and wanted to do something huge, especially coming from a large military family.”

Keen Edge is a bilateral command post exercise conducted by the U.S. military and Japan’s Self Defense Forces, with participation from the Australian Defence Force. The exercise ran from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7 and is the latest in a series of joint command post exercises designed to increase the integrated joint operational capability, refine command and control procedures and enhance cooperation between the participating nations.

“Our sailors benefit greatly from training opportunities such as Exercise Keen Edge to develop our skills, build relationships, and enhance our warfighting readiness,” says Capt. Norman Beznoska, U.S. Forces Japan Navy Reserve Unit commanding officer. “As this exercise demonstrates, we can quickly augment the active-duty staff in Japan and support our counterparts in both day-to-day activities of the command and in times of crisis.”

With 90 percent of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the U.S. is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

Gladle serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” says Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”

Gladle has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“I am most proud of my time in service providing support to U.S. Forces Japan at Yokota Air Force Base in Japan, as well as the time I spent at Combined Joint Task Force — Horn of Africa in Djibouti Africa,” says Gladle.

She can take pride in serving America through military service.

“Serving in the Navy means everything to me,” says Gladle.

VIEWPOINT: USDOL Announces Final Rule to Boost Salary Level to Qualify for White-Collar Exemptions

Business Mentors, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) announced its final rule to increase the minimum weekly salary to qualify for the Fair Labor Standards Act white-collar exemptions. The final rule [was] published in the Federal Register on April 26, and will become effective on July 1. Under the final rule, the minimum

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Under the final rule, the minimum weekly salary will increase in two stages. On July 1, 2024, the minimum weekly salary to qualify for the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions will increase from $684 per week (the annual equivalent of $35,568) to $844 per week (the annual equivalent of $43,888). This new salary level is based on the 20th percentile of weekly earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census Region.

On Jan. 1, 2025, the minimum weekly salary to qualify for the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions will increase to $1,128 per week (the annual equivalent of $58,656). This new salary level is based on the 35th percentile of weekly earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census Region. The final rule does not make any changes to the duties’ requirements for any of the white-collar exemptions, and still includes exceptions to the salary level and salary-basis requirements for teachers, lawyers, doctors, medical interns, and medical residents.

The USDOL’s final rule also increases the annual-salary threshold to qualify for the highly compensated employee exemption in two stages. On July 1, 2024, the threshold will increase from $107,432 to $132,964, which is based on the 80th percentile of annual earnings of full-time salaried workers nationally. On Jan. 1, 2025, the threshold will increase to $151,164, which is based on the 85th percentile of annual earnings of full-time salaried workers nationally. To qualify for the highly compensated employee exemption, an employee must meet the annual salary threshold and must satisfy at least one element of the duties test for the executive, administrative, or professional exemption.

The final rule also establishes automatic increases to these salary levels every three years, beginning on July 1, 2027. The minimum weekly salary level to qualify for the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions will be based on the 35th percentile of weekly earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census Region, and the minimum annual salary level to qualify for the highly compensated employee exemption will be based on the 85th percentile of earnings of full-time salaried workers nationally.

New York’s minimum salary level in 2024 to qualify for the executive and administrative exemptions is higher than $844 per week in all regions ($1,200 in downstate New York and $1,124.20 in upstate New York). New York’s minimum salary level in 2025 to qualify for the executive and administrative exemptions will also be higher than $1,128 per week in all regions ($1,237.50 in downstate New York and $1,161.65 in upstate New York).

However, New York does not set a minimum salary level to qualify for the professional exemption, so employers will need to review the salary levels of their professional employees to ensure that they meet the new federal threshold. In addition, New York’s minimum salary threshold to qualify for the executive and administrative exemptions is “inclusive of board, lodging, or other allowances and facilities,” but the federal minimum salary threshold must be “exclusive of board, lodging, or other facilities.” So, employers that count housing or meal allowances toward the New York minimum salary threshold will need to ensure that the new federal salary threshold is met when those housing or meal allowances are excluded.

There may be some legal challenges to the final rule, just as there were in 2016 after the USDOL issued a final rule increasing the exempt salary threshold to $913 per week. In 2016, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting the USDOL from implementing the final rule.

Subhash Viswanathan is a member (partner) at Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC in Syracuse. He represents employers in many different industries on labor and employment issues. Contact Viswanathan at suba@bsk.com. This viewpoint is drawn from the law firm’s New York Labor and Employment Law Report on its website.

The MOST to renovate part of building to create STEAM-education space

Education & Training, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — With the help of nearly $3 million in federal funding, a new STEAM education space is planned at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) in Syracuse. Calling it a major renovation project, the MOST says the money will help pay for a project to turn the eastern portion of

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SYRACUSE — With the help of nearly $3 million in federal funding, a new STEAM education space is planned at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) in Syracuse.

Calling it a major renovation project, the MOST says the money will help pay for a project to turn the eastern portion of the museum building into the new education space, per its April 17 announcement.

STEAM is short for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

The project will convert the space into classroom and instructional space; upgrade and modernize plumbing, mechanical, life safety, and other support systems; and add an elevator and other modifications for ADA accessibility. ADA is short for the federal 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.

The MOST is a hands-on science and technology museum located at 500 S. Franklin St. in downtown Syracuse.

The east wing of the MOST, referred to as Phase 4, was completed in 1907 as part of the third New York State Armory built on the site, the MOST said. The interior has not been in active use since the 1980s and was not renovated as part of the original conversion of the building into the MOST in the mid-1990s.

The space is adjacent to the lawn on the Jefferson Street loop and features a four-story turreted tower. The interior, which is currently used for storage, includes 10,000 square feet of space and retains considerable historical details from its original construction. Crews handling the renovation will preserve and restore carved-wood fireplaces, original hardwood floors, vintage light fixtures, and other handmade and locally crafted details.

MOST programs

Serving one of the highest-poverty cities in the U.S., the MOST describes itself as a “key partner” in education and neighborhood revitalization, “helping prepare youth for career success, especially in the high-tech industries that are coming to Central New York.”

The museum’s multiple outreach programs are geared toward groups historically underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields, such as women and people of color.

Current programs include KeyBank Future Innovators, targeted to students in grades 6-9 who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) with the goal of getting them engaged in STEM careers, per the announcement.

The MACNY Future Women in STEM series brings middle-school girls together to learn about careers in STEM fields like engineering, computer science, and manufacturing. These programs and others offer STEM education and career exploration for local families and include a free family admission to the museum for the day, the MOST said.

The museum also partners with the Syracuse City School District through the National Grid Science Learning Partnership, which gives every student in kindergarten, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade a free field trip to the MOST, including science demonstrations and activities aligned with their school curriculum.

The expanded and renovated classroom and hands-on educational spaces in Phase 4 will enable the MOST to “build on these existing programs and offer an even higher volume of programming,” the museum said.

Syracuse City Hall Aug 2022 (zoeyadvertising.com)

Mayor Walsh rolls out Syracuse Housing Strategy

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse Housing Strategy is described as a “multi-year framework for improving housing conditions in the City of Syracuse.” The strategy calls for “additive new work that builds on major initiatives” currently underway. They include the Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative, the East Adams neighborhood redevelopment, and the community grid vision plan, the office of

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SYRACUSE — The Syracuse Housing Strategy is described as a “multi-year framework for improving housing conditions in the City of Syracuse.”

The strategy calls for “additive new work that builds on major initiatives” currently underway. They include the Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative, the East Adams neighborhood redevelopment, and the community grid vision plan, the office of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said in the April 24 announcement. It also includes programs like the Syracuse Land Bank and downtown-revitalization efforts.

The Syracuse Housing Strategy is available online at syracusehousingstudy.com.

Walsh’s office cites the strategy as indicating “almost 100% of the old way of doing community development will have to be shelved. Resistance to such change is to be expected. Without such change, Syracuse’s housing markets will not begin to truly recover nor get to a point where they are able to withstand the new and different demographic and other challenges headed Syracuse’s way.”

The Syracuse Housing Strategy resulted from a two-part effort that included a housing study conducted between September 2022 and June 2023. It resulted in “many important findings” including two that “stand out above rest,” the city said.

The city’s study found that much of the housing in Syracuse has been “neglected for decades.” Consequently, property values have stagnated (even accounting for recent price escalations) and the cost of catching up on deferred maintenance and improvements generally exceeds what properties are worth. This puts a great fiscal strain on city government, making it difficult to operate and provide a high quality of life for residents. This represents a market gap, per the city.

The housing study also that despite significant degradation, housing is “still too expensive for many, making it very difficult for low-income households to succeed.” This represents an affordability gap.

The 70-page Syracuse Housing Strategy plan recommends focusing the city’s housing resources on both stabilizing “distressed” neighborhoods to prevent further decline and investing in “middle” neighborhoods to leverage current and potential market demand for quality housing.

The Syracuse Housing Strategy proposes using a “cluster approach” to implement strategies in groupings of 30-50 contiguous city blocks with similar market conditions and neighborhood identities.

“The Syracuse Housing Strategy is a smart framework to accomplish the massive challenge of revitalizing the city’s housing stock. It presents interventions that will breathe new life into city neighborhoods,” Walsh contended. “The strategy also recognizes we are doing a lot of things right already and encourages continued commitment to those neighborhood initiatives. It challenges us, though, to make difficult and disruptive choices to use the limited resources we have available in ways that will make more Syracuse neighborhoods attractive for new residents and private investment.”

The Syracuse Housing Strategy was developed based on significant community and stakeholder input in conjunction with the czb, a planning firm based in Bath, Maine.

The City of Syracuse announcement also noted the housing strategy includes a foreword by “world-renowned” urbanist and city planner, Alan Mallach.

“Too often, cities faced with limited resources, and neighborhood groups competing for their share of that modest pool, see the two strategies outlined in the report as a zero-sum proposition. Some argue that the city should focus entirely on strategies that build a stronger economy, while others argue that fairness dictates that the city should put its resources where the greatest needs exist, and let others manage on their own. Neither makes sense, because in the end neither approach leads to a healthy, sustainable city. As the report makes clear, Syracuse needs to find the balance between the two. I am confident that they will succeed in that effort,” Mallach said.

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