Redevelopment on the former home of Syracuse's newspaper is making progress after almost a decade of work.
VIP Structures has been working for eight years on what was previously known as The Post-Standard building. But VIP CEO Meg Tidd said despite what you might see on the outside, the project is speeding along.
“We’re talking hundreds of people will be employed by the time the project is finished," Tidd said. "We have great companies that are relocating to downtown Syracuse and there are people who are interested in it because of its location in relation to the city, sort of a crossroads of all these different neighborhoods coming together."
The update was part of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse's fall progress breakfast on Tuesday that put a spotlight on ongoing projects in the city.
Tidd said the Post-Standard building, which VIP has rebranded The Post, went through at least four major design changes, including a plan to build several more stories along the front of the building across from Clinton Square to house apartments. However, the idea was scrapped. Instead VIP decided to make an office and other business space, including VIP’s headquarters and Chase Design, which is already in the building.
The event also featured an update on City Center, the new location of the Redhouse Arts Center. Hayner Hoyt President Jeremy Thurston canceled plans for apartments in that project after office tenants agreed to take up all the remaining space in the four-story building.
Speakers couldn’t avoid the latest blockbuster news of Micron investing billions in Central New York. After the announcement in October, Tidd said she immediately started thinking and planning.
“You have the Micron project but then you have all the secondary projects that happen around it," Tidd said. "So, we look at the properties we own, the properties we control, or our partners who have property, [and say] ‘Okay, let’s all come together and talk about what is available out there; what is the best use for all of the assets, all of the land, all of the buildings.'"
Mayor Ben Walsh said downtown’s resurgence, its culture and vibrance is a vital reason for the microchip giant coming. He said the company executives spent most of their time in downtown as they decided whether to locate their facility in the nearby suburb of Clay.
