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Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, through funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, opened an application window for a new Commercial Corridor Improvement program. The intention of the grants will be to foster growth in neighborhood business corridors, reactivate storefronts and support businesses’ recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19.

Created by the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development and approved by the Syracuse Common Council, the funds will aid in the redevelopment and improvement of underutilized commercial and mixed-use properties, the mayor’s office wrote in a press release Monday. The program will also help improve the quality of life and “catalytic” neighborhood development programs.

A significant vacancy in buildings is defined by the city as having a minimum of 40% of the total square footage of the building unoccupied.

“Investing in neighborhoods, children and families is an important component of our ARPA strategy,” Walsh said in the press release. “We are using pandemic relief in ways that stimulate recovery and create lasting improvements in all parts of the city.”

The fund is broken down into five levels based on the amount of funding.

Level 1 projects include exterior enhancements and/or facade improvements and are estimated to cost between $10,000 and $100,000.

Level 2 projects include interior buildout to expand existing business or welcome a new tenant and are estimated to cost between $100,001 and $1,000,000.

Level 3 projects include new construction or development, and significant interior and exterior improvements. The estimated cost is between $1,000,001 and $2,000,000.

Our commercial corridors are the arteries that breath life and opportunity from the heart of our city to the people in our neighborhoods. Proud to partner with the Common Council to invest in our neighborhood business districts. #SyracuseSurge #ResurgentNeighborhoodsInitiative https://t.co/cmFqAxBbqS

— Ben Walsh (@BenWalsh44) April 19, 2022

Quality of Life Corridor Improvements include new lighting, shared parking solutions, shared energy efficiency upgrades and pedestrian safety improvements and will cost up to $2 million.

Neighborhood Catalyst projects will be larger projects that include job creation requirements and must involve new construction or adaptive reuse of a longtime vacant structure and will cost between $2 million and $10 million.

The blue census tracts are eligible for the Commercial Corridor Improvement Fund. The area surrounded by a black outline are part of the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area.
City of Syracuse

Businesses that are applying for the funds can be for profit or nonprofit, but all proposed project sites have to be located within a qualified ARPA census tract.

Levels one through three are intended for commercial-use properties, including mixed-use buildings with apartments.

“I encourage City of Syracuse businesses, nonprofits and community organizations to consider how they can use the Commercial Corridor Fund to create more vibrant neighborhood business corridors,” Walsh said in the press release. “We’ve set a two month response period to give applicants time to develop creative and compelling proposals.”

Published on April 18, 2022 at 11:47 pm

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt