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Downtown Syracuse Builds on Success, Sees Growth Spreading

Scott Willis
/
WAER News

An observer of population trends and urban issues says Syracuse appears to be on the right path toward making its downtown a more thriving place.

Matt Carmichael is editor of livability.com, and was the keynote speaker at Wednesday’s annual meeting of the Downtown Committee. 

Downtown Committee Executive Director Merike Treier says downtown's growth seems to be spreading or strenghening nearby neighborhoods previously disconnected from the city's core, like the Inner Harbor and Franklin Square. 

Credit Scott Willis / WAER News
/
WAER News
A crowd gathers for the Downtown Committee's annual meeting at the OnCenter.

 She also says  it's increasingly clear that downtown and University Hill are becoming more closely linked. 

downtown-merike_web.mp3
Merike Treier says density is key to driving the value and viability of downtown and nearby neighborhoods.

Also part of improving downtown’s appeal could include future plans for Interstate 81.  Treier says the current I-81 no longer works since both University Hill and downtown are becoming increasingly linked. Treier says re-imagining I-81 could activate more of downtown’s street grid, spur development, and make the area more walkable, bikeable, and attractive. Downtown development has more than doubled over the peast 10 years, to $353 million, almost half of that residential.  

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.