Community leaders may have an answer to the dilemma of funding maintenance costs for the Connective Corridor.
The Central New York Community Foundation has created a Beautification Fund that will collect donations for corridor beautification projects.
“This particular fund is distinct because it’s going to support civic improvement which is a new and interesting way of providing for all of our public benefit,” said Community Foundation president Peter Dunn.
The fund might come as a relief to many local business owners who were facing a hefty assessment fee for corridor maintenance before the common council voted it down. Dunn sees the corridor as a wonderful civic face for Syracuse and a vast improvement of the streetscape.
“Folks who go along the corridor see it every day and experience it and we all have a motivation to keep it up and to keep it fresh. It’s a gateway for the city,” said Dunn.
He says there isn’t a specific fundraising goal for the fund and any amount is welcome. Dunn sees the fund as a template that can then be replicated in other neighborhoods. All contributions are voluntary and can be made online at cnycf.org.