Downtown Syracuse employee Terry Marshall shares what he loves about Downtown Syracuse.
Economic Development Downtown Living Tour The sixth annual Downtown Living Tour on Saturday, May 19, 2012 was the largest ever with 2,100 tickets sold. Central New Yorkers were given the unique opportunity to tour downtown’s newest examples of urban living, as well as learn about downtown living throughout history at some of downtown’s unique cultural venues. The tour showcased a wide variety of living environments, including upscale condos, new apartments, historic renovations and cultural venues. The tour was headquartered at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and featured 10 tour stops. New this year, tour-goers were able to walk along the Creekwalk and enjoy strolling musicians, adding another dimension of uniqueness to the downtown experience. Six new properties were added to this year’s tour, highlighting several of downtown’s historic neighborhoods such as Hanover Square, Clinton Square and the Heart of Downtown. Designed to showcase downtown’s finest examples of urban living, the tour also aimed to increase awareness of the revitalization taking place in the Central Business District. In 2011, the Downtown Living Tour was recognized by the International Downtown Association with a Downtown Merit Award for the tour’s success in raising awareness about downtown development and was also recognized by the Preservation Association of Central New York (PACNY) with a “Tender Loving Care Award.” Main Street Programs In 2012, the Downtown Committee continued administration of its “Main Street Grant Programs.” Through these grant programs, property owners in specified target areas can apply for funding to assist with building and façade renovations. The grant awards are
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matching grants, with the property owner contributing a percentage of the cost and the Main Street grants accounting for a portion of the total. Grant funding for awarded projects has ranged from $3,500 to $45,000. The Downtown Committee has supported, or is in the process of supporting, 32 redevelopment projects, totaling more than $37.96 million in downtown development investment with $800,000 in grant funding. Retail Recruitment The Downtown Committee expanded the popular ‘Meet Downtown Syracuse’ campaign with the creation of kiosk posters featuring the same retailers highlighted in the Meet Downtown Syracuse brochure last year. The kiosk posters are on display throughout Salina and Warren Streets in Downtown Syracuse. In late spring, the Meet Downtown Syracuse brochure was also mailed out to more than 1,500 prospective retailers from around the state. The brochure is available online at www.downtownsyracuse.com/retail, or individuals can call (315)422-8284 to receive a copy. Quarterly Office Reports The Downtown Committee continues to produce a quarterly report detailing Downtown Syracuse’s office and retail market trends. The information compiled is also updated on the Downtown Development Showcase site, development.downtownsyracuse.com, a resource for prospective downtown Syracuse tenants, property owners and developers.