The City of Syracuse is lining up funding for environmental and design plans in ongoing preparation for a massive neighborhood redevelopment project. The 27-square block East Adams project aims to build 1,400 new public housing units and improve neighborhood amenities.
There are many layers and moving parts to the $1 billion project that require common council action. Monday, they’re being asked to approve an agreement with an engineering firm to complete what’s called a National Environmental Protection Assessment, or NEPA. Director of the East Adams project Sarah Walton told councilors it’s routine.
“Because the scope of the project is so large and it obviously involves a tremendous amount of housing work that needs to get done, the NEPA is being done in tandem with the housing project," Walton said. "Being able to complete some of those environmental analysis are pretty typical pre-development parts of projects.”
Walton said the assessment is critical to moving the project forward.
“Part of the urgency on this is to unlock the $30 million that the city is the recipient for of the public infrastructure," Walton said. "In order to do that, we need to be able to have the environmental done by May. That's because Federal Highway Administration, which is the agency that's administering those funds, has really tight design deadlines.”
The FHA is involved because the project aims to restore a neighborhood bulldozed 60 years ago to build I-81. Councilor Pat Hogan asked Walton if the various streams of federal funding are at risk after President Trump’s threat to temporarily freeze certain federal spending.
“We're still in touch with our partners at HUD," Walton said.
“They’re still working? They haven’t been eliminated?” Hogan said, referring to the numerous firings of federal employees by the Trump administration.
“We’re still in touch because both the Reconnecting Communities and the Choice Neighborhoods grant agreements have been fully executed,” Walton said.
“I mean, obviously this is one of the most important projects in my history with the city, especially with the housing crisis," Hogan said.
Councilors are expected to take up the East Adams items Monday at 1:00.
