Syracuse: Urban revitalization through education, innovation and preservation

At a time when many communities are reevaluating plans and scaling back projects as a result of the recent economic crisis, the City of Syracuse, in collaboration with our public and private partners, is investing in the new urban infrastructure that will allow our region to survive and thrive in the new economy. At the core of our strategy is the basic premise that we must have a strong center city to have a strong region, and that in order to accomplish this, we must leverage and invest in our existing assets. The Syracuse area is fortunate to have a number of educational and medical institutions that serve as anchors in our community. We are even more fortunate that these institutions are not only investing in themselves, they're also investing in the communities that surround them. St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, located just north of downtown, is a model for this type of community-based investment strategy. Already employing over 3,000 people, the Hospital is in the midst of a $265 million expansion that will create 200 new health care jobs and 600 construction jobs, representing the largest "green" health care project in Upstate New York. Concurrently, the Hospital is catalyzing a multi-pronged revitalization effort in the surrounding neighborhood that focuses on business, neighborhood, and workforce development, as well as arts and cultural initiatives. On the other side of town, the University Hill neighborhood is in the midst of an equally extraordinary transformation, with more than $700 million of new capital projects underway or completed. Recently finished projects include the $120 million Golisano Children's Hospital, the $100 million expansion of Syracuse University's Life Sciences Building, and the $37 million Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems. Also underway is the first phase of a $30 million, 100,000 s/f facility that will house the CNY Biotechnology Center, a joint partnership between the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) and SUNY Upstate Medical University. Not only are these projects strengthening the ties between town and gown, they're encouraging the transfer of knowledge from the classroom to the board room. Creativity and innovation is not limited to our institutions of higher education. The Syracuse City School district, in partnership with the Say Yes to Education Foundation and Syracuse University, is entering into the third year of Say Yes to Education Syracuse, a ground breaking collaboration dedicated to dramatically increasing high school and college graduation rates for our City's youth. At the core of this pioneering program is a comprehensive support system designed to address key barriers to college, including health, legal, and family services, coupled with the promise of free tuition, fees, and books for all participants. Say Yes to Education Syracuse is quickly becoming one of the most powerful economic development incentives we have in our toolkit. Another valuable tool for development has been the use of historic rehabilitation tax credits. While we continue to aggressively advocate for a practical New York State historic tax credit program, the federal credit alone has already contributed to a veritable urban renaissance over the past decade. Our region's historic building stock is among our greatest assets, and we strongly believe that by investing in these assets, we're investing in our future. Downtown Syracuse, more than any other neighborhood, has benefited from the historic rehabilitation movement. Long underutilized buildings are being converted into mixed use projects with market rate residential apartments on the upper floors and both local and national retailers taking up spots on the ground floor. Downtown's occupancy rate for market rate residential units is holding steady at around 99%, and with 172 market rate units set to come on line over the next two years, we believe we're just scratching the surface. On one city block alone, upcoming developments include the $25 million, 130,000 s/f mixed-use Pike Block project, the $13 million redevelopment of the former Dey Brothers Department Store into 45 market rate apartments and a fresh food market on the bottom floor, and the $16 million renovation of the ornate Depression-era Landmark Theater. Just down the street on the edge of Armory Square, our region's most vibrant entertainment and retail district, the $30 million, 126,000 s/f Washington Station project is nearing completion, which will bring over 300 O'Brien & Gere environmental engineering firm employees from the suburbs to the city center. The city, in partnership with our other public partners throughout the region, recognizes that we must continue to invest in the infrastructure and amenities necessary to support the aforementioned development. For example, our regional transportation authority, Centro, recently started construction on a brand new $16 million bus transfer hub that will anchor the southern end of downtown. Work is also underway on the Connective Corridor project, a unique partnership between Syracuse University and the City of Syracuse to better connect the University to the surrounding community through design, technology, and transportation. And work is almost complete on the first phase of the Onondaga Creekwalk, an alternative transportation route that will connect the City's lakefront and Inner Harbor to the center of downtown. Recent recognition by a series of national publications only serves to bolster our collective efforts. Syracuse has been ranked in the top five by both Forbes.com and Yahoo.com as one of America's best places to raise a family, and both Popular Science and National Geographic recently recognized Syracuse as one of the top twenty greenest cities in America. As our country continues to emerge from the worst recession in decades, we're confident that Syracuse, and all of New York's Creative Core, is uniquely positioned to compete and succeed in the new economy. Stephanie Miner is the mayor of Syracuse, N.Y.