This week’s groundbreaking for phase one of the East Adams housing project goes beyond the pomp and circumstance of such events. It carries more significance for a public housing community that’s lived on the margins for decades.
Deputy mayor and mayor-elect Sharon Owens has been leading the redevelopment plans for most of her eight years at city hall. She said when she takes office, she’ll remain committed to moving other pieces of the project forward.
“The city of Syracuse now is in the process of owning Latimer Terrace for continued development for amenities for this neighborhood," she said. "[We're] really creating an affordable, eclectic, housing, living, playing, business neighborhood that will include the people who originated here.”
Owens said East Adams is only one piece of a much larger transformation of the area. The school district has plans for a sports stadium for the neighboring Institute of Technology. The new regional STEAM school adjacent to ITC just opened this fall, and the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center nearby is undergoing its own major renovations. That’s not to mention the upcoming removal of the I-81 viaduct.
Mayor Ben Walsh said East Adams has faced its challenges leading up to this moment.
“Part of what made it so difficult is because we knew how much was at stake," he said. "And we don't have to look far to see what happens when you get it wrong. Whether it was urban renewal, whether it was Interstate 81, we know how bad it can be if you get it wrong. And we have all worked incredibly hard to make sure that we get it right. And I believe that we did.”
Walsh credits residents for their vision, passion, and patience, as well as holding government leaders on all levels accountable as the project takes shape.
East Adams Phase one includes a four-story 133-unit complex with an opening expected in 2027.
