Connecting the Historic 15th Ward

In the 1930s and 1940s, the 15th Ward was a haven for those who could not find housing elsewhere in Syracuse. Following World War II, many displaced refugees and African Americans moved north in hopes of finding work and safety. However, when they arrived in Syracuse, they found few places they were allowed to live outside of the 15th Ward through a combination of redlining, racial covenants, and other systemic discrimination practices. The new residents soon turned the 15th Ward into a bustling and vibrant economic and social hub. However, through urban renewal policies that were aimed at modernizing cities but often disproportionately impacted minority communities, the 15th Ward was deemed blighted and ultimately decimated by the construction of I-81. This not only destroyed over 500 businesses and displaced thousands of people, it left the remaining residents to deal with the economic and environmental consequences of being located feet from a major thoroughfare.

Today the Historic 15th Ward has been renamed by the community as the East Adams neighborhood. The neighborhood is located to the immediate south of Downtown and the immediate west of University Hill, which includes Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate Medical University and Hospital Center. While these areas adjacent to the neighborhood have flourished, the East Adams neighborhood continues to experience some of the most significant economic, educational, and health disparities in the country.

1. Improve infrastructure to:
   • Increase neighborhood connectivity and visibility.
   • Reintegrate the community and commercial district.
   • Encourage and invite new commercial investment to the area.
   • Link neighborhood residents to critical community assets including health care, education, and recreation.
   • Establish connected routes to increase external investments that help establish vibrant commercial corridors and more stable housing conditions.
   • Expand and redefine the city’s urban core by serving as a gateway between local anchor institutions and downtown Syracuse.

2. Develop a strategy for economic growth and development with an equity lens so that all new economic and wealth-building opportunities are designed and developed by and for the people living in the neighborhood.

3. Support and invest in housing efforts to deconcentrate poverty and improve housing quality and choice.

4. Create positive outcomes for families in the areas of employment, income, health, wellness and education.