Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh detailed Syracuse Surge, a growth and economic opportunity strategy, and other city initiatives at his “State of the City” address on Thursday.

Walsh also discussed how the city can obtain a sustainable budget, what steps the city can make to reduce crime and how to engage more residents in the workforce through his Syracuse Build Initiative.

“Technology, the environment and the economy we face in 2019 will be vastly different within even the next five years,” Walsh said. “Succeeding in these new realities require us to turn away from the status quo and embrace new ways of doing things.”

Syracuse Surge is a plan to invest in and capitalize on smart technologies to jumpstart investment, create economic growth and transform neighborhoods in the city, Walsh said. He said it could be the biggest economic growth initiative put together by the city of Syracuse.

New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo committed his support for the initiative at his own “State of the State” address this week. Walsh said $200 million in private and public funding has been committed to the project.

Walsh spoke about his vision to make Syracuse a “growing city that embraces diversity and creates opportunity for all.” Aaron Kassman | Contributing Photographer

The main investment of Syracuse Surge will go to the Southside Campus for the New Economy. The campus will be comprised of several properties focused on education, business, research and development. It will sit in the Southeast area of downtown, Walsh said.

It will build on more than $125 million of investment put into the area in the last six years, he said.

“The Southside Campus will provide opportunity for a section of the city that was devastated by decisions of the past,” Walsh said.

On the campus will be a regional Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math school that will make career and technical education available to students from multiple districts. The entire campus will have internet access and will be able to pull data from sensors stationed around the city.

Walsh also announced the creation of a the New York Center for Smart Cities, a new center that will use data from the city to make decisions on how to best deploy municipal resources.

The first step of Syracuse Surge has already begun with the city’s purchase of 17,500 street lights from National Grid, which will save $3 million annually, Walsh said. The lights — provided by the companies Cimcon, Presidio and Cisco — will be connected to a central operating system that will alert the city when a light goes out and allow the city to control the lights’ brightness.

“Being a smart city increasingly means leveraging technology to advance our economy and create opportunity for all of our citizens,” Walsh said.

In addition to Syracuse Surge, Walsh addressed the four main objectives he set for himself at the beginning of his term: fiscal sustainability, economic investment and neighborhood stability, deliverance of city services and community engagement.

Walsh highlighted the actions his administration took to stabilize the city’s budget, a decision he said required ”tough choices and sacrifices across the city.” He said that this year the city will save money by investing in its workforce.

Last year, Walsh announced the creation of Syracuse Build, a program designed to prepare the city’s workforce for upcoming construction on the crumbling Interstate-81 viaduct. Syracuse is currently awaiting a Draft Environmental Impact Statement from the New York State Department of Transportation that will detail how the viaduct should be replaced.

At his speech on Thursday, Walsh gave two updates to the Syracuse Build program.

CenterState CEO’s WorkTrain initiative, which helps Syracuse community members find jobs at local businesses, received a grant for $200,000 annually for three years, Walsh said. He added that the funding will help speed up the introduction of Syracuse Build.

The mayor announced that Syracuse University will be the first private sector partner to participate in the Syracuse Build program. Aaron Kassman | Contributing Photographer

Walsh also announced that Syracuse University agreed to become the first private sector anchor project partner for Syracuse Build, meaning that SU will work to create more opportunities for local workers — particularly minorities and veterans.

“Under the leadership of Chancellor Kent Syverud, who is here with us tonight, SU and the Institute of Veterans and Military families have become national leaders in helping veterans return to the workforce,” Walsh said. “(SU has) made major improvements in local and minority hiring.”

The mayor’s speech came a day after more than 50 city residents gathered in the Southwest Community Center for a panel on youth violence in the city. Twiggy Billue, who moderated the panel, said the gathering stemmed from an “outcry” from residents, students and teachers within the city about youth violence.

Walsh said he was outraged at the violence that the city endured over the past year and said that “lasting change will, again, take time.”

Syracuse just experienced its deadliest year for youth in more than 25 years, Syracuse.com reported. From mid-September to mid-October, six teenagers and adolescents were shot in the city, per CNY Central.

“I’m shocked and saddened by the way guns have so directly affected children and teenagers in our city,” Walsh said.  

He highlighted the hiring of Police Chief Kenton Buckner along with 32 police officers. Walsh said that overall crime had decreased by approximately 10 percent.

“Lasting change, again, will take time,” Walsh said.

Syracuse will also open a Financial Empowerment Center, which will help families get professional financial counseling, Walsh said. He said the center will help families “separate themselves from the risk of falling in to poverty.” It will receive startup funding from Cities for Financial Empowerment and the Allyn Foundation.

Nearly 75 percent of Syracuse households struggle to afford basic necessities, he added.

“The journey to shared prosperity will be hard, but the path will be lighted by a focus on equity in the way we deliver services and how we create opportunity,” Walsh said. “Syracuse’s best days aren’t just ahead of us. Our city’s best days are within our reach.”

Published on January 18, 2019 at 2:45 pm

Contact India: irmiragl@syr.edu