This Is Why Miner Was Wrong

[xc84]

Don't worry. Miner has a task force now! She's all over this!

 

[IthacaMatt]

Please don't blame her dumb decision on the political process. The decision was hers, not the people's, her tough stance backfired on her and it cost this city the largest opportunity since the Dome was originally built.

It also p'oed Cuomo a little more since the pension thing went down...to the point that he pretty much won't acknowledge that Syracuse exists much less Miner.

She's an idiot, plain and simple. Cuomo put her on a task force about fixing state government and she uses the opportunity to blast him in a NY Times op-ed saying his budget fixes were smoke and mirrors and that our cities are on the verge of bankruptcy. Well played, Steph. Well played.

 

[IthacaMatt]

what events are these?

Concerts, mostly. Our local arenas suck. Dome is too big, has poor acoustics and the university doesn't support its use for concerts anymore. The War Memorial is a dump, too few bathrooms and should be torn down. That's it. There are no other venues.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I think we can all agree that Syracuse doesn't need hope.

If Syracuse does need jobs -- and that's an argument for another day -- I don't think the ideal job creation would come in the form of short-term construction work, and I sure don't think such jobs would be worth a significant (several hundred million dollar) city and county expenditure.

Syracuse doesn't need hope? Syracuse doesn't need jobs?

Surely you jest. Where do you live, Otto?

 

[oldpinepoint]

She's an idiot, plain and simple. Cuomo put her on a task force about fixing state government and she uses the opportunity to blast him in a NY Times op-ed saying his budget fixes were smoke and mirrors and that our cities are on the verge of bankruptcy. Well played, Steph. Well played.

She is an idiot for this reason alone. Not sure what she was thinking when she did this. Never bite the hand that feeds you. She screwed the city bad when she opened up her yap. She is not a people person

 

[IthacaMatt]

Thinking of all of this from an objective point of view - our budgetary process in NY, in fact the country is soooo screwed up.

Taxes are driving people and businesses out of state , heck even out of the country, so the tax base erodes, we've become a service based economy many of these services being tax-exempt, those left pay more, while the infrastructure crumbles, incentives are given for new buildings while yesterday's buildings sit empty, and in the rare situation there's a surplus - the state decides what projects they will support for each area in the state on a take it or lose it basis.

Whether one agrees or not if a new stadium is a worthwhile project - the process still stinks overall. Why not lower taxes , bank it to avoid future debt, invest it to finance a known future need, appropriate money to each county, city and allow them to determine their greatest need - anything but the current process. If the entire state's infrastructure is crumbling - why not earmark it for that?

The state has their own issues with bad bridges, roads etc. Why not offer incentives to utilize and repurpose current buildings etc instead of new construction. (I am not talking about the dome) This would save road, sewer, water and other capital expenses to complete new construction that all of us have to support and maintain. We keep offering tax incentives to add to our crumbling infrastructure costs or am I crazy?

I know that others on this board are much smarter in economics, urban development, government policies etc than I am but to this lowly accountant and my simplistic understanding, it seems that we're arguing about losing out on money disbursed in an outdated, inequitable , wasteful process. You can see throughout the state the empty shells of prior economic development targets many abandoned to chase new incentives. The accept what we want or lose out entirely is just dealing with a horrible reality of this flawed process. Uggh

We can't begin to think about lowering taxes until we do some basic things to fix our cost of public employees - their retirement should be based on their actual salary, not overtime. They shouldn't be able to collect their retirement until they begin collecting social security. We have to consolidate small towns, villages and school districts and eliminate thousands of jobs. We've got to stop giving out tax breaks to every single business project that gets talked about. We need to stop subsidizing successful industries. There is so much wrong with our system that the only way to fix it may be to blow it all up and have a new Constitutional Convention.

 

[IthacaMatt]

No definitive site was decided upon. The project was in a concept phase.

I don't think that's true. The plan was to develop on those few blocks at Kennedy Square where the old public housing project was torn down. The problem is that the site is only 2 city blocks wide and there was basically no parking, or certainly insufficient parking, to permit 45,000 people to go to a game downtown. Plus the site plan showed all this mixed use stuff, retail, apartments, etc. Way too much stuff was being jammed into a site that is way too small.

The Inner Harbor is the ticket.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Don't worry. Miner has a task force now! She's all over this!

I'd love to see one of those meetings! Haha

 

[xc84]

Concerts, mostly. Our local arenas suck. Dome is too big, has poor acoustics and the university doesn't support its use for concerts anymore. The War Memorial is a dump, too few bathrooms and should be torn down. That's it. There are no other venues.

The War Memorial is also a size that does not fit a music market. It's too small for the very popular events and too large for others that might go to e.g. The Landmark.

 

[OttoMets]

Syracuse doesn't need hope? Syracuse doesn't need jobs?

Surely you jest. Where do you live, Otto?

Hope?

Please. That's silly. Hope isn't curing anything. Same for that nebulous idea of jobs; what are we talking about there?

I'm in Syracuse. I'm going home tonight in Syracuse. No one has all the answers, but I have a pretty good idea about what's going well in the city and what could be improved.

 

[xc84]

I don't think that's true. The plan was to develop on those few blocks at Kennedy Square where the old public housing project was torn down. The problem is that the site is only 2 city blocks wide and there was basically no parking, or certainly insufficient parking, to permit 45,000 people to go to a game downtown. Plus the site plan showed all this mixed use stuff, retail, apartments, etc. Way too much stuff was being jammed into a site that is way too small.

The Inner Harbor is the ticket.

Site Options
The analysis was not site specific. One of the initial objectives was to establish criteria for site
selection. The criteria included proximity to campus, utilization of existing infrastructure, parking
availability and overall economic benefit Jdevelopment for the community. Land currently owned by
the University, including Skytop, was considered, but it was determined that greater public benefit
could be created if the stadium was not on University land. After reviewing the Loguen Crossing
site controlled by COR and related infrastructure tied to the Connective Corridor including over
10,500 parking spaces within ‘/2 mile of the site, this became the leading site. Moreover, the
development COR contemplated—including a 250 room hotel, over 160 apartments, and 150,000
square feet of retail—offered the opportunity for substantial economic development for the
community. To be clear, this site has not been secured for the stadium and would require additional
discussions.

 

[Millhouse]

I don't think that's true. The plan was to develop on those few blocks at Kennedy Square where the old public housing project was torn down. The problem is that the site is only 2 city blocks wide and there was basically no parking, or certainly insufficient parking, to permit 45,000 people to go to a game downtown. Plus the site plan showed all this mixed use stuff, retail, apartments, etc. Way too much stuff was being jammed into a site that is way too small.

The Inner Harbor is the ticket.

miner is an idiot for not being sufficiently enthused about project that you think would be jammed into a site that is way too small with basically no parking?

 

[xc84]

miner is an idiot for not being sufficiently enthused about project that you think would be jammed into a site that is way too small with basically no parking?

No. She's an idiot for stopping the project in its tracks because she was bent out of shape that they didn't include her in the initial conceptualization and planning.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Hope?

Please. That's silly. Hope isn't curing anything. Same for that nebulous idea of jobs; what are we talking about there?

I'm in Syracuse. I'm going home tonight in Syracuse. No one has all the answers, but I have a pretty good idea about what's going well in the city and what could be improved.

I work with business owners every day. The economic recovery skipped past Syracuse altogether.

 

[IthacaMatt]

miner is an idiot for not being sufficiently enthused about project that you think would be jammed into a site that is way too small with basically no parking?

Miner is an idiot for her lack of political sophistication, for her lack of skill in playing the game.

The Kennedy Square site is an awful site, and that site development plan was garbage. But if she was smart, she wouldn't have killed the funding; she would have taken the funding and helped look for an alternative site.

 

[CousCuse]

Miner is an idiot for her lack of political sophistication, for her lack of skill in playing the game.

The Kennedy Square site is an awful site, and that site development plan was garbage. But if she was smart, she wouldn't have killed the funding; she would have taken the funding and helped look for an alternative site.

All the parking lots used by downtown weekday workers are proximate to that site and are empty nights and weekends. It is also in the University district , Lower University, kind of sounds like an upscale realtors term.

 

[Longtimesu]

It's all politics folks. You are making too much of what is seen on the surface. It's not about what you see. It's about what you don't see. If I can benefit, let's do it. Whether it's money, or fame, you help me, I help you. Otherwise, screw the deal, any deal. And BTW, let's do this behind closed doors.

Syracuse for years has been running it's city behind the scenes. I remember when I was young, back in the late 50's early 60's, the politicians, and influential business man used to meet secretly once a month. They would get dressed up in their dark suits and fedora hats, and meet at different places on the North Side. My close friends father used to go all the time. And whenever he asked his dad what the meetings were about, his father would tell him to stop asking. His mother never had any idea either.

A few years back I was involved with organizations in the city, powerful businessmen, as well as the politicians of both parties for a project I was working on re: Syracuse. I learned very quickly how the city operates.

 

[Orangefan1]

Retro has to be the mayor's publicist. Let's be honest this city is screwed for the next three years she is in office. If she had any pride she would resign her position and leave politics forever with her 90 year old husband. Maybe she can get a job with the post standard. They seem to enjoy her.

 

[nzm136]

WNY/CNY/Upstate needs an economic driver.

But what is there? Agriculture only goes s far, manufacturing is going to China via Texas, and high skill labor is just that...high skill and thus not applicable to 90% of the population.