Syracuse Developments (New York, Cicero, York: rent, car insurance, buying a home)

[RollsRoyce]

$6 Million Restoration Project for Niagara Mohawk Building

According to the Post-Standard, National Grid is investing $6 million to renovate the iconic Niagara Mohawk headquarters building in Downtown Syracuse. Restoration work began in April and will last three to four years.

National Grid building in Syracuse undergoing $6 million restoration - syracuse.com

[beckyhuggs]

I'm happy they are planning on restoring that great building. I just hope they plan on leaving "Niagara Mohawk" as the name on the building rather than changing it to National Grid. Niagara Mohawk was such a great name and described the area from the Niagara region to the Mohawk valley. Keeping the building's name the same would add to the history and uniqueness.

[RollsRoyce]

Advertising & PR Agency Moves Downtown

Syracuse's largest advertising and public relations firm announced it would relocate its headquarters and 115 employees from Franklin Square to Jefferson Clinton Commons, a $21 million mixed-use project being constructed in Armory Square. Eric Mower Associates (EMA) will occupy 35,000 square feet of ground floor space that will accomodate up to 130 work spaces. EMA and Sugarman Law Firm serve as the building's anchor tenants.

Eric Mower and Associates


Coverage from CNY Business Journal:
CNYBJ:Single News Article

[phaelon56]

Originally Posted by beckyhuggs

I'm happy they are planning on restoring that great building. I just hope they plan on leaving "Niagara Mohawk" as the name on the building rather than changing it to National Grid. Niagara Mohawk was such a great name and described the area from the Niagara region to the Mohawk valley. Keeping the building's name the same would add to the history and uniqueness.

And I hope more care is taken than was used in the "restoration" of the public areas of the State Tower Building. I stepped in there a few weeks ago to show the lobby area to as visiting friend who has an interest in architecture. It was a really half-a*sed botched up job to spruce up a classic building that deserves better.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by RollsRoyce

I saw the Charlotte Westin when I was in NC on business last fall. At first glance I said to myself, "Wow, I wish Syracuse could have a design like that."

For anyone interested, here it is:

Westin Charlotte, Charlotte, NC Photos - Yahoo! Travel

[RollsRoyce]

Cazenovia Architect Relocating Practice to Downtown Syracuse

News Channel 9 reported a Cazenovia architect has purchased the vacant OnBank/M&T Bank building at 451 South Warren Street with the help of a grant from the Downtown Committee. The architect will occupy the top floor and will look for a retail tenant to fill the former bank storefront.

Link to story:
Recruiting new businesses into Downtown Syracuse - NewsChannel 9 WSYR

Open Atelier Architect website:
Open Atelier: Bringing design, culture and technology together

[RollsRoyce]

Luxury Apartments Planned for Vacant Hurbson Building

The long stalled plan to redevelop several vacant structures on West Fayette and South Salina Streets received a modest boost on Wednesday when the state awarded a $1.3 million grant to a Buffalo area developer to convert the upper floors of the former Hurbson Office Equipment building into 14 luxury apartments. The developer, Williamsville-based CRS Properties was initially behind an ambitious renovation and expansion project proposed for the Amos Building in 2003. After numerous delays, CRS sold the building and project to Queri Development of Syracuse who subsequently completed a more modest renovation in 2005.

CRS has developed several housing complexes in the northeast. Earlier in the decade, New York state provided housing tax credits for two senior citizen apartment projects in the town of Amherst.

Here is the website for CRS Companies:
Retail — The CRS Companies

[Cleveland Park]

Interesting piece today in the Baltimore Sun: Don't wait for government money, Hopkins business school dean says -- baltimoresun.com

I especially like this bit:
""What's the vision for the city?" he says. "What's the vision for the state? What does it mean to compete on the international level? There has to be a will on the part of the elected leadership and the business leadership. This could be the most fantastic place on Earth."

For much of Maryland's business community, leadership means complaining about taxes.

"In California you have less taxes? You have fewer regulations?" he retorts. "I don't think it's a question of taxes, per se. It's a question of environment. Why would companies go to Boston to locate? Why would companies locate near Stanford? Because you create an environment that's highly interactive" between creative people and financial resources."

Replace "Maryland" with "Syracuse" and this could be something any local academic or executive might say. These perceived problems of taxes are both inaccurate and not specific to Upstate New York. Always nice to see how things look outside of the CNY bubble.

[Wingfoot]

Problem with Upstate is property taxes plain and simple. I'm one of the millions who left for that reason,bought a similar worth home for less in Wisconsin and prop. taxes are 40% of what they were in Westvale.
And WI is not a low tax state.

South of here in IL property taxes are much higher and for the same reason as in NY, one huge city controls the state and everybody else can take a hike and that will never change !

[Cleveland Park]

Again, "These perceived problems of taxes are both inaccurate and not specific to Upstate New York."

The "terrible New York taxes" complaint is an empty myth tossed around by those who a). haven't any experience elsewhere, and b.) don't put much thought into non-tax expenses associated with cost of living.