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Downtown Tour aims to bring people back to Syracuse
Posted: 05.19.2010 at 3:51 PM
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SYRACUSE -- An initiative is underway to attract more long term residents to downtown Syracuse.
Plans call for two percent of Onondaga County's population to be living in downtown Syracuse. More than 2,500 people already do, and there is an aggressive downtown rebuilding campaign to provide more space. There's also a downtown marketing campaign, including this coming weekend's Downtown Living Tour.
Merike Treier, who represents the Downtown Committee, says more than 250 people have already bought tickets for this year's tour, and that's more than came to the event last year. For this fourth year of the tour, Treier says they've expanded to Franklin Square, showing off a new neighborhood in addition to Armory Square, the 'power district' near National Grid, and Hanover Square.
Joe Lewis, Vice Presicent of Sales for the Sutton Company, is renting the Lofts at Franklin Square. He calls it a 'tweener' neighborhood - downtown with a suburban quality. Plum Court has tree lined streets and is quiet, a different perception from the bustle of Armory Square. Lewis says the 92 apartments in the old O.M. Edwards factory include conveniences expected for downtown living: parking included with the rent, and laundry facilities in the apartment.
There are eleven apartments and lofts open on Saturday, including at the newly built Jefferson-Clinton Commons, but most are in refurbished, historical buildings. Treier says the open houses are not designed to sign people up on the spot, but seeing the living spaces gets people thinking about moving downtown. Most tour-goers come from 'outer' Syracuse suburbs, though this year people from Auburn, Ithaca and even Brooklyn are already signed up.
Advance tickets are available until Thursday at a discount, and all tickets can be picked up on Saturday 11:30 - 4:00 p.m. at the first stop, the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. The tour is estimated to take two hours.
For more information and tickets call 422-8284 or click here.