Less than two weeks after a visit by President Biden, one of his top advisors made a stop in Syracuse Tuesday. White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Director Tom Perez paid a visit to Central Village near the I-81 corridor to highlight a $180 million federal grant aimed at reconnecting communities.
Perez’s agenda included a roundtable discussion at the Wilson Park Community Center, and a visit to the nearby Boys and Girls Club to talk with residents. There’s growing concern that the Community Grid project combined with the redevelopment of the adjacent public housing complex will displace residents or lead to neighborhood gentrification. Perez told reporters as someone who led the civil rights division of the justice department, he’s well aware of shady practices.
“I understand redlining because I prosecuted a lot of redlining cases in communities that were left out due to the corrosive power of fine print and just massive disenfranchisement," Perez said. "That's why I come back to what the president did on day one. He understood that this Invest in America agenda if we get it right and I think we are can be truly transformational.”
Between stops, Mayor Ben Walsh pointed out the JMA Wireless dome across the highway, which prompted Perez to ask about the homegrown company.
“They're the only manufacturer of 5G wireless equipment in the United States of America, and there are few blocks away from here," Walsh told Perez.
"Wow," Perez said. "Well, we we need more people manufacturing. I was just down in Georgia last week at a company that manufacturers a critical component of battery technology, and they're about to become the only U.S. company doing that which, we're happy we have one. One is better than zero.”
Mayor Walsh says Perez seems impressed with the level of community engagement.
“What really struck him was the partnerships that we have here and the fact that we have residents from the neighborhood at the table, but not just there speaking their voice, speaking their truth and and having a role in the decision making that that has been meaningful," Walsh said.
