A feeling of hope is more palpable in Syracuse’s Pioneer Homes neighborhood after the announcement of a $50 million federal grant to demolish and rebuild several hundred housing units. It's a significant piece of the effort to reimagine and redevelop the 15th ward.
The roar of traffic on I-81 is obvious as children play at Wilson Park a block from the viaduct. The eventual removal of the elevated highway has served as a major incentive for reimagining the neighborhood it destroyed nearly 60 years ago. Executive Director of Blueprint15 Raquan Pride-Green says being awarded a highly competitive grant should assure those residents who might still question that change is finally coming.
“Now you're going to start to see holes being dug into the ground," Pride-Green said. "You're going to see buildings being demolished, and then you're going to see buildings being rebuilt. It's kind of hard to ignore all those things as they're happening on versus just a bunch of meetings and dialogue.”
Pride-Green grew up in Pioneer Homes, and knows through his work that some residents just aren’t engaged. But in just a few months, ground will be broken on the mixed income, and senior/supportive housing phases. Pride-Green says that means residents will need to be temporarily relocated and offered the chance to return.
“There will be some people who decide they do not want to come here. But the purpose of Blueprint 15's effort is to make sure those same residents who are here now have the option," Pride-Green said. "It's all about choice, so some will choose to return and some won't. Some people experienced a lot of trauma living in this neighborhood and felt like they had nowhere to go, and that it wasn't an option to leave. Now they have the option.”
Pride-Green says the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Syracuse Housing Authority will ensure residents can return and not be priced out of a new unit.
"Someone who's paying $200, which is based off of their income, will not come back paying $1,000. So we will fight to ensure that happens," Pride-Green said. "But we do know we have the backing up HUD and we also understand that SHA wants these residents to come back too. So it's not that they're looking to displace everyone. They want everyone to return, but return to a better neighborhood with more opportunities."
The new 15th Ward will also include commercial spaces for minority and women owned businesses, improved access to higher education, a Children Rising Center, and park improvements to name a few.
