Syracuse City Hall to reopen on Monday with major improvements

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Wednesday announced that Syracuse City Hall will reopen for services to the public on Monday.

Syracuse City Hall, which is located at 233 E. Washington St., closed more than a year ago over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, Walsh’s office said.

In addition to City Hall, other city offices providing services to the public — including City Hall Commons at 201 E. Washington St. and the Parks, Recreation and Youth Programs office at 412 Spencer St. — are also reopening on May 17.

The opening of Syracuse City Hall follows major improvements to the building. They include more short-term parking spaces adjacent to the building, a new city payment center, and improved security through a new accessible main entrance on Market Street.

City Hall reopens with a new main entrance on Market Street facing the State Office Building. The city constructed an accessible ramp at the south door, and all entry to the building will occur through that entrance. To improve security for staff and the public, the four other doors to the building will be closed.

The Syracuse government also installed a security checkpoint at the Market Street door, which is like what “exists at many other government buildings,” Walsh’s office said.

To make it easier for visitors to do business at City Hall, more short-term parking spaces have been added on the east and west sides of Market Street. Employee-parking spaces in that area were relocated to other city parking lots.

As City Hall reopens, visitors will be able to use the new City Payment Center to make payments for city services in a central location. Located on the first floor and accessible through the new Market Street entrance, the City Payment Center will accept payments for taxes, parking violations, and water bills. It will also be able to process in-person credit and debit-card payments for most transactions. Taxes may be paid with a credit card only online. The public will still have access to a payment drop box located on Market Street.