Taking it Beyond the Connective Corridor to Improve the Near West Side

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Objective: A look at the Near West Side Initiative showcases how Syracuse University went beyond an initial project—the Connective Corridor—and expanded its community revitalization efforts by undertaking a massive rebuilding of a deeply depressed neighborhood with a unique coalition of partners. The Near Westside of Syracuse at the far end of the Connective Corridor, approximately 1.6 miles from the SU campus.

Main Topic: Anchor Institution
Sub Topic: Community Development
Sub-Sub Topic: Neighborhood Revitalization

Geography: Syracuse, NY
Major Participants: More than 750 students and faculty in the University’s geography, architecture, engineering and design programs; over 200 neighborhood residents, the State of New York; The Gifford Foundation, Home Headquarters Inc. , the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Energy and Environmental Systems, Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse.

Background: The City of Syracuse, once an industrial powerhouse, had declined rapidly since the 1950s. The population base decreased by 35% and more than 1,000 homes sat vacant. When Chancellor Nancy Cantor came to the University in 2004, she sought ways that the anchor institution could invest in and become better connected to the city. She spent a year “Seeking the Soul” of Syracuse to assess ways that the University and city could better engage one another. One way: leverage the University’s resources to improve the Near West Side, a Syracuse neighborhood that was, at the time, the 9th poorest census tract in the United States.

The challenge: How to leverage the University’s intellectual capital to help bring one of America’s oldest and poorest industrial areas in to the 21st century economy.

How it happened: Chancellor Cantor recruited Marilyn Higgins from National Grid—who had helped work on the Connective Corridor prior to the Near West Side project. With support from the Gifford Foundation they created the Near West Side Initiative (NWSI) a non-profit development corporation that is spearheading a $56 million neighborhood redevelopment project.

The initial funding was made available through a Loan Forgiveness Program by New York State to universities willing to devote loan repayments to local economic development projects. The State was willing to forgive university loans if the universities then turned around and invested that money in to the community. After a $13.8 million loan was forgiven, Syracuse committed itself to the NWSI. It began by purchasing and redeveloping two warehouses in the neighborhood. One, the Lincoln Supply Building, is now a fully occupied mixed-use facility that includes artist live-work units, a Latino Cultural Center and Say Yes to Education. The other is currently under construction and will house the region’s public broadcasting station, WCNY, and ProLiteracy International, the nation’s largest Literacy Organization.

The NSWI also worked with Home Headquarters to create $1 home program, which allows urban pioneers to acquire tax-delinquent properties for a dollar. Home Headquarters works with the new residents to renovate these residential properties and helps recruit residents back to the area.

All the while, students and faculty are being engaged in the revitalization of the Near West Side. Over 750 students have researched the neighborhood history, planned and built affordable green homes and parks, and helped shape the art, design and technology of the neighborhood.

Results for Syracuse community: To date, a total of $56 million has been committed to the NWSI thanks to city, state, university and foundation support. By planting the first stake in the ground downtown through the redevelopment of an abandoned warehouse to house first, the School of Architecture and now the Design School of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, , new businesses have relocated to the area. An architectural firm moved to be close to the design faculty; a major engineering firm moved to the block and Urban Outfitters located a store downtown, the first new national retail facility to locate in the City for decades. .

Three green homes have been built, all receiving LEED certification in November 2011. There have been an additional 25-30 homes redeveloped by Home Headquarters Inc. which is encouraging new and first-time homebuyers to root themselves in the neighborhood. Some public housing tenants have been able to purchase their very first homes. The plan is to continue renovating the vacant properties so that students stay, artists move to the Near West Side, and a new mixed-income community can thrive.

Shared value has been created for the city and university: the city is getting new development that it would not have had otherwise; entities are moving to the city, creating jobs and generating taxes to support the city’s revitalization. Eventually, home values will begin to rise, benefitting the city and residents. Meanwhile, the University is building deep, collaborative relationships with the community. Students and faculty are enhancing their scholarship through these hands-on projects.

Remaining challenges: The downturn in the economy has been, and remains, a huge challenge for the NWSI. They were buying properties right as the bottom of the economy fell out; now the loans to redevelop these properties are harder than ever to get. The NWSI has utilized New Market Tax Credits but the NWSI quickly learned that these are incredibly complicated transactions. As federal and state budgets shrink, the programs for housing are now all drying up—making projects more difficult to complete.

Lessons Learned: Early on, there were some fears that the NSWI would cause gentrification and push residents out of the neighborhood. Chancellor Cantor and the NWSI’s board had to have very frank conversations with community partners; it required a lot of listening but they had to listen and had to listen well in order to overcome the mistrust that existed.

These types of conversations helped to build the partnerships that were essential to the NWSI’s success. Resident and city engagement, faculty input and a diverse NWSI board of directors helped to spur dialogue and collaboration to push the project forward.
 

Last Updated on February 2nd, 2012

TAGS: nswi | shared value | community development | economic development | anchors | cities | industrial | syracuse | nmtcs