Onondaga County will be getting itself into the concert business at Onondaga Lake with a new $49.5 Million dollar amphitheater with projections it won’t cost taxpayers a dime.
Lawmakers took the historic vote of 12 to 5 on Monday but, not before a lengthy closed and public discussions … and residents who spoke both for and against building it. Ron Haynie from Roofers Local 195 feels the venue will bring jobs to area for construction and high-tech manufacturers looking at what the area offers.
“They wanna go to places that are nice places. They want to listen to the current bands. How (are) you gonna bring them here? I mean, all that suff interplays and somebody has to have the vision to do it.”
Syracuse resident Bob Papworth is against the proposed Amphitheater project site and the dredging process that pumped sediment from Onondaga Lake to be stored in surrounding suburbs.
“How can it be that the property values in Geddes and Solvay and the rest of the areas are improved by toxic dumps? That’s completely impossible.”
The county will pay on the bonds for 30 years, and banks on $2.4 Million dollars in annual gaming tax revenue from Turning Stone that’s collected and shared by the State. County Legislator Kevin Holmquist voted no for the bonding. He says analysts predict a tough future ahead.
“Northeastern Upstate New York seasonal amphitheaters are under great pressure, to be polite, of weather and other factors. But, there’s now a cannibalization rate called competition that these amphitheaters are gonna compete with one another.”
Legislator Patrick Kilmartin, who sponsored the bond resolution, conceded that not every economic development project is a huge money maker.
“However, these projects have become critically important projects for Onondaga County and for our community. Whether it be Sports, Arts, Culture… whether it be a part of our public fabric and the amenities that the county provides for our citizens.”
Even lawmakers who were in support of the Amphitheater expressed it wasn’t the best project but felt the positives outweighed the negatives. The County Legislature also approved a 30 Million dollar grant to further continue Western Shore improvements for Onondaga Lake and streetscape improvements along Bridge Street in Solvay. Both funding votes arrived on the same day that Honeywell announced the dredging of the Lake has been completed one year ahead of schedule.
