Stephon Marbury to Develop Multi-Million Dollar After School Facility in Syracuse (Cortland: sales, 2009)

[RollsRoyce]

NBA star Stephon Marbury announced plans to build a privately-funded after school athletic and educational center in Syracuse within the next 5 to 10 years. I'd like to see it built near the former Sears Building in the Gateway area. This is definitely good news.

Here is the story:
NBA star wants to build youth athletic, educational facility in Syracuse | News from The Post-Standard -

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by RollsRoyce

NBA star Stephon Marbury announced plans to build a privately-funded after school athletic and educational center in Syracuse within the next 5 to 10 years. I'd like to see it built near the former Sears Building in the Gateway area. This is definitely good news.

Here is the story:
NBA star wants to build youth athletic, educational facility in Syracuse | News from The Post-Standard -

Heck yeah....It's good to see someone giving back to neighborhoods like the one they came from. It seems like he saw the need in the community.

[RollsRoyce]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Heck yeah....It's good to see someone giving back to neighborhoods like the one they came from. It seems like he saw the need in the community.

Indeed. Perhaps even more astonishing is that Marbury doesn't appear to have any ties to the area. Several years ago, the Salvation Army in the Gateway area of South Salina Street was vying for a Kroc Center that would have included a state-of-the art wellness and education center. Syracuse utimately lost in its bid for a Kroc facility. The Marbury project could help fill this void and potentially usher in new development on the South Side.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by RollsRoyce

Indeed. Perhaps even more astonishing is that Marbury doesn't appear to have any ties to the area. Several years ago, the Salvation Army in the Gateway area of South Salina Street was vying for a Kroc Center that would have included a state-of-the art wellness and education center. Syracuse utimately lost in its bid for a Kroc facility. The Marbury project could help fill this void and potentially usher in new development on the South Side.

Exactly. I think that along with going forward with plans to revitilize South Salina Street could go a long way in bringing that area back. http://syracusethenandnow.org/CompPl...atewayPlan.pdf

[urbanplanner]

That is great news! I really do like your suggestion RR, the former Sears location on South Salina Street. ckhthankgod, thanks for the SE Gateway Neighborhood Design Plan. I will be sure to look over it, its the type of work that I do.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by urbanplanner

That is great news! I really do like your suggestion RR, the former Sears location on South Salina Street. ckhthankgod, thanks for the SE Gateway Neighborhood Design Plan. I will be sure to look over it, its the type of work that I do.

I forgot to say that CENTRO bought the Sears building. So, maybe they could sell it for this project.

[RollsRoyce]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

I forgot to say that CENTRO bought the Sears building. So, maybe they could sell it for this project.

When did CENTRO buy the Sears Building? Was it recently? What are their plans for it? Don't they already have a facility on Cortland Ave?

[Cleveland Park]

Tax website doesn't show any sales information, but I imagine CENTRO thought that they'd found a good price for a little extra bus parking. Or maybe they're speculating; it's possible that that property could fetch a better price somewhere down the line.

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[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by RollsRoyce

When did CENTRO buy the Sears Building? Was it recently? What are their plans for it? Don't they already have a facility on Cortland Ave?

You might want to take this with a grain of salt, but I work with a guy that used to work at CENTRO. He mentioned this while talking with a CENTRO employee in my presence. So, I'm wondering if he is talking about the property around the Sears building or the building itself.

[Cleveland Park]

I didn't search carefully enough; I was looking at the wrong block. According to Syracuse's tax site (which I've found to be accurate most of the time), the Sears building is at 1300-1340 South Salina; it is owned by Empire Archives, Inc.

Sale information only goes back to 1985, when it was sold to AMCO for $50,000. (Sears hadn't even been gone a decade at that point.) It has bounced around a bit since then. Cookies Required - Image Mate Online

Either way, it's a very attractive building; however, crime isn't only a matter of "perception" around there. Too much concentrated public housing, too little commitment by municipal government and local police to keep things in check. Pretty sad; difficult to be optimistic about that particular neighborhood. Only 10 blocks from University Hill, yet one of the least desirable places in the county.

Hopefully Steph can help, but in the end it's the neighbors who make a neighborhood -- if the people around Salina and Castle don't choose to help themselves, the area will continue to be a blight. I don't think it's any coincidence that the revitalization of Genesee Street north of University Hill gained steam immediately after the wholesale demolition of 700 units of housing at Kennedy Square.