UPDATED 2/25 @ 5:00 P.M.
Syracuse residents are getting their chance to say how they might walk along Onondaga creek, or bike or access a creek path from their neighborhood. The first of three public meetings on expanding the Onondaga Creekwalk was last night. Syracuse Facilities engineer Russell Houck has been working on phase two of the Creekwalk for two years and says the first portion has been beneficial.
There’s that recreation connection from downtown to the lake; it opened areas along that section as well. We’ve seen additional development in the Inner Harbor are and I think the Creekwalk has had a big impact on that to promote that development. We hope the Creekwalk phase II promotes some additional development south of the city as well.
There’s been a plan to extend the trail for years; a 2008 feasibility study laid out potential routes for the trail, but no plans are definite. The City of Syracuse wants to find the best location for the trail and how it might integrate into various neighborhoods. Houck says individuals, developers, or commercial entities will see an improvement in a neighborhood and want to take part.
We talked about promoting development, improving the streetscape and the look of the neighborhoods along the creek corridor, creating more access to the creek corridor itself. Those are the goals.
The second public meeting takes place Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. in the Southwest Community Center; a third introductory meeting is March 4th at the MOST. After those meetings, final design plans will be brought back in front of the public for more input.
The City of Syracuse is starting to plan for the next phase of the OnondagaCreekwalk, and residents are invited to add their thoughts.
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Three public information meetings will be held throughout the city to give the public an opportunity to comment on design options for Phase II of the Creekwalk. The proposed second phase of the Creekwalk will extend 2.2 miles, from Armory Square to West Colvin Street.
“The first phase of the Onondaga Creekwalk has been a great success and we welcome the opportunity to plan for this expansion,” said Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner. “These community meetings will allow the most important stakeholders—our neighbors—to have a voice in the process for this growing asset.”
The meetings will be as follows:
Wednesday, February 25 6:30 p.m. - Colvin St. to Bellevue Ave./Blaine St.
Seals Community Center at Kirk Park
300 West Borden Avenue
Syracuse, New York 13205
Thursday, February 26 6.30 p.m. - Bellevue Ave./Blaine St. to Onondaga St./Adams St.
Southwest Community Center
401 South Avenue
Syracuse, New York 13204
Wednesday, March 4th 6:00 p.m. - Onondaga St./Adams St. to Jefferson St.
Museum of Science and Technology
500 South Franklin Street
Syracuse, New York 13202
For more information on the second phase of the Onondaga Creekwalk, the City of Syracuse has developed a web page which will include a copy of the meeting presentation and additional information on the development process.
The first phase of the Onondaga Creekwalk opened in October, 2011 and is a 2.6 mile pedestrian and bicycle trail following the path of Onondaga Creek connecting Armory Square to Onondaga Lake.
