We look back at the history of the site
A look back at what was on the site before the Center of Excellence
The Center of Excellence open house on Saturday (1 - 4pm) is the community's introduction to innovations in ecological engineering and green technology, but the site is no stranger to industrial landmarks.
The big, whitewashed brick building at that site that many Syracusans watched being demolished on March 6th, 1999 was known as Midtown Plaza--and it was in disrepair when it came down. But it was built as a factory for Smith Corona and help give Syracuse the title 'typewriter city.' In 1960 when Smith Corona moved to Cortland, the building was re-purposed: doctors' offices, the first home to fledgling Onondaga Community College, a deli called Meltzer's and the Red Cross blood collections services all called it home.
But, over the years, it became vacant, and a fire led to concerns about ithe building's structural safety, and what was stored within.
The demolition brought out thousands of residents on what our photojournalist Alex Dunbar calls 'the coldest day I can remember'---
and one of the hot topics of conversation was what use the piece of land would be put to. Now, a dozen years later, a new and hopefully groundbreaking path is set.
