SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — After years of sitting vacant, parts of Syracuse’s Erie Boulevard East could soon see a new life, and the city wants the community to lend a helping hand in deciding what happens next.
At Syracuse’s Northeast Community Center, city officials from the Business Development team met with residents to begin work on the Erie Boulevard East Brownfield Opportunity Area project.
It’s a long name, but the idea behind it is simple.
A brownfield is a property that was once used for industrial or commercial purposes and is now idle, or even abandoned in some cases, due to contamination. Several of these sites line Erie Boulevard East, and many have sat untouched for years.
Kevin Race, a business opportunity specialist with the city of Syracuse, says locals are ready for change and are eager for the city to take action.
“Certain sites have been left to rot,” Race said. “Vacant sites, contaminated sites that are eyesores in their neighborhood. They really want to see the government put some, you know, initiative behind turning them around.”
Through New York State’s Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program, cities can create a redevelopment plan for struggling areas. But before anything is put in motion, officials say they want to hear from the community to find possible solutions.
Dan Riker has been working in environmental services for over 30 years, and he pointed to another community to show how local residents can help determine the future of brownfields.
“In Jamestown, we were working on a BOA, and we wouldn’t have thought of this, but there’s a big skating community in Jamestown,” said Riker. “They also wanted an outdoor facility, and we found a particular brownfield site that works really well for a skatepark.”
The project emphasizes the idea that redevelopment should reflect what the community actually wants, not just what looks good on paper, and Riker thinks that food could be the answer.
“There’s a lot of really interesting restaurants in this area,” Riker said. “I think you have a lot of ethnic restaurants, and there could be additional ones, too. It really could become an attractor for people to come out to eat.”
Riker believes building around food and culture could help transform Erie Boulevard East from a stretch of vacant properties into a destination.
The project is still in its early stages, and more public meetings are expected in the coming months.
For now, the focus is on hearing the community’s voice to decide what comes next for Erie Boulevard East.