This weekend Central New Yorkers can take a walking tour of Syracuse and peek inside buildings and places they’ve never seen before.
The Open Up Downtown tour is a fundraiser for the Downtown Committee. Some of the buildings on the list are considered iconic like Mizpah Tower which at one time was a sanctuary when it was built in 1914. A local business owner has taken care to honor the ornate wood architecture while transforming the historic building into something new.
“When you walk into this space, you’re just really struck by the architecture of it and the ceilings and the stained glass and rally trying to make it a place that is usable again for the community," said Michael Greene. "It was a church for a long time, then it was a concert venue and it’s been vacant for about 30 years.”
Another building on the tour was once Sibley’s department store and is now home to the Redhouse. The weekend tour is literally a backstage pass to see behind the curtain.
“We have three public theatres that feed right off the lobby, plus a sound recording studio, a costume shop, a scenic shop, tons of dressing room space," said executive director Franklin Fry. "There’s a lot behind the scenes that makes this arts center something that can actually provide programs for Central New York.”
People drive through the city all the time and might wonder about the buildings, said Downtown Committee spokesperson Becca Flint.
“They see like the National Grid building or the Mizpah Tower that we were just in and they’re curious about the history and the architecture and what’s inside and what’s its used for currently," she said. "So, I hope that people learn something… get to enjoy all the aspects that downtown has to offer.”
Open Up Downtown takes place Saturday, May 16th from 10 am to 3 pm. Participants check-in at the Atrium Building from the South Clinton Street entrance.
