An aerial view of the Carousel Center expansion
/ file photo
SYRACUSE -- It appears that Destiny USA will be just a big mall. The hotel and third expansion of the Carousel Center in Syracuse are apparently off the drawing board. Mayor Stephanie Miner gave reporters the stunning news this morning.
The City of Syracuse was about to impose a penalty on Destiny for once again missing the deadline to begin a new expansion to the Carousel Center, which could be either a hotel or further improvements to the mall. The original deadline was one year ago.
The city supposedly had the option of putting the current expansion on the tax rolls, thus doing away with a tax exemption, or assessing a fine as they have twice in the past.
But Mayor Miner says on Tuesday that Pyramid Companies, the owner and developer of Destiny USA, informed the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA) that the current expansion to the mall is "the final phase." So the tax exemption stays in place, and nothing more is planned.
Miner says on Thursday SIDA will declare that Destiny is in violation of their agreement, which ends the "public participation" portion of this project. She says that means if Destiny wants to build a hotel or further expand the mall, it will have to do so with private financing.
"I think you have to be proud of everything that's been done in this community. Carousel Center today is one of the top 25 performing centers. This will be the 6th largest and 2nd most visited," says Destiny spokesman David Aitkin.
Click here to read the letter from SIDA to Destiny USA.
