VIDEO TRASNCRIPT: Controversy on Comstock Ave?
Jordan Booker: How much have you heard about the controversy on Comstock? Well let me tell you a bit more about it, come on. The closure on Comstock Avenue from Waverly Avenue to Marshall Street is due to SU building two new dorms opening in fall 2027. But the authorization for the street closure was put up for a vote today by the Syracuse Common Council. At the Common Council meeting here at City Hall, the authorization was held ofr more discussion. And here’s Councilman Majok to tell you why.
Councilor Chol Majok: There are a number of things that need to be settled before we acutally grant the permission.
Booker: And closures like this, comes traffic and Syracuse residents say they are tired of it all.
Ezio Imani: I think it is a little bit frustrating you, at times, like getting through and trying to go where you’re trying to go.
Booker: Because the authorization is a being held for discussion, there’s currently no timetable as to when it will be approved. But Councilman Majok said this is not just for SU.
Majok: It’s not just going to be Syracuse University. It’s not just going to be Hayner Hoyt, who’s the developer. It’s not just only that. It’s all the businesses that are going to be involved with tthe city, that the city is going to be involved in, and the cost, the appropriate cost to the the developer, and the owners, such as Syracuse University, and the city.
Booker: For NCC News, I’m Jordan Booker.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – As Syracuse University continues the construction on two new dorms, the street closure needed for the job has not received the authorization needed to continue.
At the Syracuse Common Council meeting on June 1, Councilor Chol Majok presented the ordinance to authorize a street closure on Comstock Avenue, from Waverly Avenue to Marshall Street.
The ordinance was held for further discussion, and Majok said that there are circumstances outside of Syracuse University that are impacting the decision.
“There are a number of things that need to be settled before we actually grant the permission. We are going through a lot with making sure that all the developers are welcome in the city, and that the business flows seamlessly. And there’s a couple of mechanics based on our pay schedule that are not quite there yet,” Majok said.
But the hold on this authorization affects more than just the construction of the dorms; it causes detours for drivers in the area.
Comstock Avenue goes from one side of the Syracuse campus to the other, and driver Ezio Imani said he is tired of having to find new ways to get around the university.
“I think it is a bit frustrating at times trying to get to where you’re gonna go,” Imani said.
The closure on Comstock Avenue started in late December 2025 and was approved for 90 days by Mayor Sharon Owens, but any authorization on that closure after that period must come from the Syracuse Common Council.
The authorization on the closure has been held for discussion numerous times before this meeting, according to Majok, and he attributes it to the overall issue being bigger than what is going on at Syracuse.
“We are approaching it in this manner because it’s not just going to be Syracuse University. It’s not just going to be Hayner Hoyt, who’s the developer. It’s all the businesses that are going to be involved with the city, and the appropriate cost to the developer and the owners, such as Syracuse University, and the city,” said Majok.
There is currently no set date for the discussion about the authorization, or when the authorization will be approved, but Majok emphasizes that there should be progress soon.
“It’s hard to tell, but my hope is that as a chair, my hope is next voting session we’ll get somewhere,” said Majok.