Syracuse Housing Authority and City of Syracuse Awarded $50M Grant

Published on July 17, 2024

SYRACUSE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND CITY OF SYRACUSE AWARDED TRANSFORMATIVE $50 MILLION UNDER THE FEDERAL CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS IMPLEMENTATION GRANT

East Adams Neighborhood Transformation Plan to address longstanding physical and social challenges of the Historic 15th Ward and revitalize the neighborhood into a vibrant mixed-use, mixed-income community 

Syracuse Housing Authority Executive Director William Simmons and City of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh today announced an award of $50 million under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grant for the East Adams Neighborhood Transformation Plan (Transformation Plan). This landmark award, the first CNI Grant ever awarded in New York State, was submitted by the Syracuse Housing Authority, acting as lead applicant, and the City of Syracuse, with contributions from crucial partners McCormack Baron Salazar, Blueprint 15, Urban Strategies, Inc. and the Syracuse City School District. The grant will revitalize a section of Syracuse’s Historic 15th Ward, a 27 block, 118 square-acre area. It will help create a new East Adams Neighborhood with more diverse housing options and greater educational, economic, and health opportunities for current and future residents.

This revitalization is critical to redressing decades-long disinvestment in the Historic 15th Ward, a once-thriving black community that was greatly impacted in 1950s and 1960s when large areas of the neighborhood were razed due to the construction of Interstate 81 (I-81). The New York State Department of Transportation's (NYSDOT) start of construction of the Community Grid to replace the I-81 viaduct offers a unique opportunity to reinvigorate the city's urban core. Complementing the Community Grid, the Transformation Plan is designed to reconnect the neighborhood both physically and socially, preventing displacement, removing barriers and creating a new urban fabric.

William Simmons, Executive Director of SHA, expressed his enthusiasm saying, "Securing this $50 million grant is a monumental victory for our community. It validates the hard work and input from residents who have been at the heart of this planning process. The East Adams Neighborhood Transformation Plan is not just about building new homes; it’s about building a brighter future for our families, creating opportunities, and fostering a sense of pride and belonging. Residents and the community have long been awaiting this type of investment, and their patience and perseverance have finally paid off. This funding represents not only a financial boost, but a renewed hope and commitment to our shared future.”

“The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) award to Syracuse supports a transformative neighborhood vision to help reconnect and revitalize the heart of Syracuse’s Historic 15th Ward,” said Mayor Walsh. “It will provide affordable, high-quality housing for people who live in the neighborhood today and enable a more vibrant neighborhood with access to jobs, healthcare, and better education. The City and Syracuse Housing Authority, working with residents and community partners, will build a safer more connected East Adams neighborhood, advancing equitable economic opportunities, and bringing new investment to the area following decades of disrepair. I am grateful to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressman Brandon Williams, Governor Kathy Hochul and our other government partners for supporting Syracuse at every stage of our community effort to win this highly competitive CNI grant.” 

The Transformation Plan reflects residents' strong desire to revitalize the neighborhood to be a safe, healthy, and strong community that supports its children and elderly and offers the same opportunities for success as other neighborhoods in Syracuse. Key components of the plan include:

• Replacing over 600 aging public housing units in Pioneer Homes and McKinney Manor and activating vacant parcels to create over 1400 new units. The redevelopment will feature a rich mix of high-quality, energy-efficient housing options including apartments, townhomes and single-family homes, aimed at enhancing resident access to downtown Syracuse and University Hill’s vibrant urban centers. 
• Using a phased approach to redevelopment to minimize disruption of the residents. Replacement units will be appropriately sized to meet the needs of returning families, and all current eligible residents are given priority to return.
• Improving access to higher quality education by building a pipeline of students for the new world-class Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) High School and supporting the development of the Children Rising Center, which will include an early learning center and space for health, wellness, and recreational opportunities. 
• Accelerating economic opportunities through workforce training and business development. This includes transforming new ground-floor commercial spaces and vacant buildings into vibrant retail hubs for small, local, minority, and women-owned businesses. A Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) Real Estate Development & Entrepreneurship Incubator will ensure minority entrepreneurs have clear access to these new opportunities, and a Neighborhood Employment and Training Center will connect residents to jobs.  
• Enhancing neighborhood connectivity, visibility, and safety through public infrastructure improvements and the use of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles. This will create more green space and improve recreational opportunities, public safety, and food access.
• Placemaking and multi-park improvements, including the development of a new “Linear Park” connecting Roesler and Wilson Parks and a neighborhood museum to celebrate the legacy of the Historic 15th Ward. 
• Offering wraparound services and support to ensure residents have access to essential resources. This includes family-centered case management, educational, health, and career services, and mobility counseling to help mitigate transition barriers of relocation or re-occupancy.

To ensure the Transformation Plan’s execution matches its ambitious scope, partners McCormack Baron Salazar and Urban Strategies Inc., firms renowned for their expertise in national Choice Neighborhood initiatives, will assist with the redevelopment efforts.

Richard Baron, Founder and Chairman at McCormack Baron added, “MBS is honored to partner with the Syracuse Housing Authority and the City of Syracuse on this once-in-a-generation opportunity. We are grateful to HUD for recognizing the vibrant potential in Syracuse – a city with deeply engaged residents and committed local leaders all working towards a dynamic future for the East Adams community.”

Every resident of Pioneer Homes and McKinney Manor will benefit from personalized support through caseworkers dedicated to facilitating the transition through redevelopment phases, with a strong focus on improving employment, health, and educational outcomes.

“This Choice Neighborhood announcement is both the beginning and the summation of the dedication of neighbors and community partners working to center the lives and lived experiences of the children and families of East Adams. USI is proud and ready to continue this great work.” Esther Shin, Urban Strategies, Inc., President.

Blueprint 15, a partner of the Transformation Plan and a local nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing Syracuse’s Historic 15th Ward, operates as a resident-driven group to ensure local voices lead the transformation effort. As part of their strategy, paid Neighborhood Navigators facilitate and foster resident empowerment and engagement so that the community’s voice is centered on decisions impacting the families who call this neighborhood home.

Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens and Board Chair of Blueprint 15 said, “This grant will help Blueprint 15 to achieve its goal of developing a neighborhood that reflects the needs and wants of its residents. We believe that neighborhoods are not just the places where we live. Neighborhoods are where we find and build community and future prosperity. I thank our partners at SHA, SCSD, Onondaga County, in City Government and our many community partners for helping to build a community where residents will have access to safe and affordable places to live, engaging and effective schools, greater economic opportunities, and vital health services.”

Executive Director of Blueprint 15, Raquan Pride-Green stated, “The CNI Grant advances Syracuse Housing Authority's transformation plan for the East Adams Neighborhood, which has not seen any investment since the urban renewal era, that decimated our community with the construction of the I-81 viaduct instead of improving it. We are grateful that our Children Rising Center project is a signature critical community improvement that will receive funding from this award to provide jobs, early learning, and health and wellness service for our neighborhood residents.”

This initiative is part of a sweeping $1.2 billion investment drive, drawing contributions from federal, state, county, and city resources, alongside private and philanthropic partners. The first phases of the plan are set to begin construction in late 2024. To learn more about the plan, please visit eastadams.org.