The Post-Standard’s Sean Kirst has generated significant discussion on his blog since posting a photo of Salina Street — Syracuse’s “Main Street” — filled with trash and absent any people.
(Courtesy Barbara Thomson) THEN: Crowds cross Fayette Street with Christmas decorations crossing Salina Street, 1952.
(By Dennis Nett / The Post-Standard) NOW: Saturday, Dec. 5, at 1 p.m.
Today, Sean followed up with another post examining some of the reactions to the photo and sharing more of his ample insight into Downtown’s trials and triumphs.
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The striking thing about the photo to my eyes is not the trash, but the utter lack of people, mid-day on a Saturday during what should be the holiday shopping crush.
CNYSpeaks participants made it clear that what they want more than anything Downtown is vibrancy. They want open businesses occupying now-vacant storefronts. They want office workers and apartment dwellers in the spaces above those storefronts. They want people walking the streets, taking in the scene, checking out the shops, ducking into restaurants for something hot to eat.
In short, they want Downtown to resemble what they remember from the city’s heyday in the 1950s.
The holidays in Syracuse always make Central New Yorkers long for a vibrant Downtown. For one, it reminds us of the way Downtown used to be when it was truly the center of the region’s cultural and economic life. (Here’s a slideshow of images from Downtown Syracuse during Christmases past.)
It also reminds us that, no matter how much Downtown has fallen or how suburbanized we have become, that there is no substitute for Downtown, as evidenced by the amazing turnout of people and cheer that accompanies each year’s tree light-lighting ceremony. (See how many people packed Clinton Square this year.)
What better time of year is there, then, to do something that supports the revitalization of Downtown Syracuse? Read the plan for Downtown that was generated by the citizen participants of CNYSpeaks, and then endorse it to show your support, or help us make it better by commenting on our new discussion board.
Happy holidays from CNYSpeaks!
(Nicholas Lisi / The Post-Standard) Brandon Dahl installs a vinyl wall graphic of on a window of the building at the corner of South Salina and Fayette streets.
That’s why it is so welcome that the Downtown Committee has decided to use the beautiful art work created by the Syracuse Poster Project to dress up several key buildings on the southwest corner of Salina and Fayette streets.
Read all about it and check out a video of the instillation on Syracuse.com’s CNYSpeaks blog.
Here’s some audio from the CNYSpeaks forum last week. You can hear the candidates’ address questions on marketing, sustainability and on whether Downtown is more likely to get the development we want by either strengthening or relaxing existing design guidelines. The candidates’ closing remarks are also posted.
Some other useful election day links:
Stephanie Miner (D), Steve Kimatian (R), Otis Jennings (C)
Onondaga County Board of Elections
Coverage from The Post-Standard on Syracuse.com
While you are in the mood to endorse a candidate by casting your vote today, check out the Citizens’ Agenda for Downtown Syracuse, and endorse the Agenda by signing our petition.
(By Anita Djandoh) Otis Jennings, flanked by Stephanie Miner and Steve Kimatian, addresses the crowd at the CNYSpeaks Mayoral Candidate Forum
Maxwell Professors Grant Reeher and Tina Nabatchi took a look at the data generated from the CNYSpeaks Mayoral Candidate Forum last week and found that the participants thought economic development was the key to the Downtown’s revitalization.
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In developing the Citizens’ Agenda for Downtown Syracuse, CNYSpeaks solicited thousands of comments on Downtown using forums, a blog, surveys and other devices. Economic development, crime & safety, parking & transportation, and arts & aesthetics emerged as the areas where citizens thought downtown either had the most work to do, or, as with the arts, had an edge that needed to be exploited.
Last week, CNYSpeaks asked the participants at the forum which of those areas they would focus on the most, and 65 percent said economic development. Arts and aesthetics was next with 21 percent.
Reeher and Nabatchi wrote about their findings for The Post-Standard Opinion page.
The results seem to stem from a sentiment expressed time and again at CNYSpeaks events — if you fill those vacant store fronts with retail establishments and light up the upper floors with offices, apartments and condos, much of the rest of the work needed Downtown will take care of itself. The lighted stores will brighten Downtown, the foot traffic they create will make it feel safer, the density created will make it easier to service Downtown with better transportation routes, etc.
CNYSpeaks is still working to get audio of the event online but is having a technical snag it hopes to get around soon. In the meantime, you can listen to the candidates talk about Downtown during the CNYSpeaks forum before the primary.
Thank you to The Post-Standard, Action News and WSYR for covering last night’s CNYSpeaks forum.
The report from Post-Standard City Hall Reporter Meghan Rubado.
Joe Roetz of Action News used the event as a platform to explore an important problem — the decrepit condition of Syracuse’s “Main Street,” the 300 Block of South Salina.
Next up: An analysis of the data collected last night, and audio from the event.
More than 150 citizens packed Sophistications Jazz Cafe last night to press the candidates on their strategies for improving Downtown Syracuse.
They candidates all stressed that the Citizens’ Agenda for Downtown Syracuse was an excellent starting point for shaping policy Downtown.
Stay tuned for more information on last night’s event, which will be posted later today, tomorrow and Friday, in time for those that did not get a chance to participate to see what the candidates said before the election.
Five reasons we think tonight’s event, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Sophistications Jazz Cafe, 441 S. Salina St., is going to rock:
- Registrations have been strong.
- All three candidates for mayor remain committed to participating.
- The Maxwell School has devised a great program that is both true to the CNYSpeaks’ spirit of public deliberation and significantly different from our previous forums and other forums during this election season.
- We’ll be in a cool new venue.
- And we have the added excitement of being exactly one week away from the election, when Syracuse will pick its next mayor.
But we need your help to make the event all it can be. The more people in the room, the more of a statement it makes to the candidates about the importance of Downtown Syracuse.
We’ve got the space and the number of facilitators needed to accommodate more people, so we’re opening the event up to walk-ins. Come on down, bring a friend, help spread the word on Facebook or any way you can. And bring your questions — this is all about you, the citizens, being able to ask questions directly to the candidates.
The event is free and open to all — city residents and suburbanites, past CNYSpeaks participants and newcomers to the process. Light refreshments will be served.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. We’ll start the forum promptly at 6:30 p.m. and wrap up by 8:30 p.m. More information, including a map of the location, can be found here.
CNYSpeaks Facilitator Sally Rock-Blake listens during the second CNYSpeaks forum held in October 2008. The CNYSpeaks event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 27) will be CNYSpeaks
In separate interviews, Congressman Dan Maffei, County Executive Joanie Mahoney, state Senators John DeFrancisco and Dave Valesky, and Assembly members Joan Christensen and Bill Magnarelli, all said that the Citizens’ Agenda for Downtown Syracuse will help them make Downtown a better place..
An article outlining these elected officials stances on the Agenda will be published Sunday on the Opinion cover of The Post-Standard.
It’s great timing for CNYSpeaks, which is hosting a forum with the candidates mayor from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Sophistications Jazz Cafe, 441 S. Salina St.
The event, which is free and open to all, will focus on identifying where the three candidates agree and differ in their approaches to improving Downtown and implementing the Agenda.
Register by calling 315-730-4621 or emailing cnyspeaks@maxwell.syr.edu. Walk-ins will be welcome, but advanced registration helps us prepare to have the best event possible.
Check out Sunday’s piece in The Post-Standard, or hit continue reading to peruse it right here.
continue reading →
Mike Greenlar / The Post-Standard
THE CANDIDATES ON DOWNTOWN Democratic mayoral candidate Joe Nicoletti answers a question at the CNYSpeaks pre-primary forum. He’s flanked by Democrat Carmen Harlow and Republican/Conservative Otis Jennings. Looking on are Democrat Alfonso Davis, Republican Steve Kimatian (obscured by Davis), and Democrat Stephanie Miner. Kimatian, Miner and Jennings have committed to a second forum on Downtown that will let us explore more in depth how they intend to improve the city center.
The CNYSpeaks’s Mayor Candidate Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 27, is a great chance to build off of the forum CNYSpeaks hosted in September with the six candidates who were in the race heading into the primary.
The forum lead to a wealth of information on how the different candidates would approach improving the city center.
Here’s a transcript of the event. You can find press accounts of the evening here, and audio files here.
This award — first place for Online Content from the state Associated Press — is a testament to everyone who has participated in this project.
If you have come to one of the events, commented on the blog, linked to the blog, promoted CNYSpeaks on Facebook, followed CNYSpeaks on Twitter, taken the survey, commented on postings, or have just generally had good thoughts about CNYSpeaks, take a bow.
A special thanks to Steve Carlic, The Post-Standard and Syracuse.com for supporting the creation of this project; to Maxwell professors Tina Nabatchi and Grant Reeher for forging it into something special; and Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor for ensuring its continuation.
