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Funding shortfall puts key piece of East Adams Redevelopment Project on hold

The Children Rising Center is proposed for the block bound by Oakwood, S. State, and East Taylor Streets.
Blueprint 15
The Children Rising Center is proposed for the block bound by Oakwood, S. State, and East Taylor Streets.

A funding shortfall threatens to upend a key piece of Syracuse’s massive East Adams Neighborhood Redevelopment project. Syracuse’s youngest residents could be on the losing end if planners cannot bridge the gap to build the $31 million Children Rising Center.

The proposed center is the vision of Blueprint 15, one of the entities involved in the larger $1 billion, 27-square-block East Adams project. The website promises a YMCA health and wellness center, in addition to services and support for children of all ages. Now, it’s in limbo.

Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens also serves as Board President of Blueprint 15. She spoke at a common council committee meeting Monday.

“It is a disappointing moment for us,” Owens said. "The [Blueprint] project is not going to proceed at this time. We can't fill a $7 million gap to make the project work.”

The Children Rising Center has secured about $25 million in city, state, federal, and foundation support over the past three years. Meg O’Connell with the Allyn Foundation said they finished designs, hired a construction manager, and waited.

“Everything was ready to start construction," O'Connell said. Unfortunately, because of the continued delays by Syracuse Housing Authority, they did not close on their low income housing tax credits by year end. They were not able to complete the HUD process.”

O’Connell said they were counting on those credits to close the funding gap. SHA director Bill Simmons says about 60 residents live in the two dozen housing units set to be demolished for the project.

“HUD’s not going to approve any plans without knowing where those residents are going to go in the short term and what they're going to come back to," Simmons said. "Most of our delays in adjusting of our project deadlines were requests that came to us, much of it we didn't know in advance.”

Simmons says they were trying to accommodate the changing desires of Blueprint 15. It’s not known if or when the Children Rising Center will be built. Councilor at large Rasheada Caldwell has roots in the Pioneer Homes complex. She said it’s a setback for a marginalized community trying to reimagine its future as the I-81 viaduct comes down in a few years.

“It hurts my heart because they don't deserve it," Caldwell said. "So at the end of the day, it seems like that it should have been a situation where, OK, let's go. We got to figure this out. Let's come together. Let's get more people so we can get a project together. This is not about us, it's about that community and we failed them again because we didn't come together and ask for help.”

Meanwhile, common councilors approved funding for environmental and design plans that unlock grants for other parts of the East Adams Redevelopment project.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.