Development in and Around Syracuse Discussion | Page 15 | Syracusefan.com

Development in and Around Syracuse Discussion

my thought is DeFrancisco is just covering his arse when they announce the community grid as the option. I know he has repeatedly said that if the state can pay billions for the new Tappan Zee the state can pay for tunnel, maybe he'll press Cuomo for the tunnel option but an annual $10mil price tag for maintenance is just ridiculous.

My guess is they announce the community grid option and then remove the tolls on the portion of the thruway from 481 to Jones Rd to make the Finger Lake folks happy & the local suburban politicians happy.
 
I'm not sure what the right answer is, but IMHO $4 Billion for a tunnel and then another $10-15 million a year in maintenance costs just isn't feasible for a city of Syracuse's size. I think the plan all along has been the community grid option, whether that is the right option or not. It's by far the cheapest, and the easiest for local politicians to sell to their constituency as a way to reunite the city.
 
Fly Rodder said:
Which is a real about-face since, years ago, he told me personally that he thought Congel was a crook.
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A crook whose firm's gotten pretty generous toward DeFrancisco.

Crazy to think that he can parlay this cash and press into a successful run for governor, but stranger things have happened.

After this cynical treatment of his long-time community, I wish him nothing but failure.
 
KellySyracuse said:
my thought is DeFrancisco is just covering his arse when they announce the community grid as the option. I know he has repeatedly said that if the state can pay billions for the new Tappan Zee the state can pay for tunnel, maybe he'll press Cuomo for the tunnel option but an annual $10mil price tag for maintenance is just ridiculous.

My guess is they announce the community grid option and then remove the tolls on the portion of the thruway from 481 to Jones Rd to make the Finger Lake folks happy & the local suburban politicians happy.
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I hope they can get rid of the tolls in that section, but it was just turned down by the lawmakers when it was brought up this year. Maybe once construction actually starts they will be more reasonable.
 
dooey139 said:
I hope they can get rid of the tolls in that section, but it was just turned down by the lawmakers when it was brought up this year. Maybe once construction actually starts they will be more reasonable.
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It was actually passed by lawmakers. The bill was vetoed by Cuomo.
 
dooey139 said:
I hope they can get rid of the tolls in that section, but it was just turned down by the lawmakers when it was brought up this year. Maybe once construction actually starts they will be more reasonable.
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I think Cuomo may have been holding out on this to use it as a carrot once the community grid option is announced.
 
I think some of you gleaned over the part where the federal government ponies up 80% of the costs. While I agree with all of you that I hate seeing money spent on something that is a bit over the top, $3.2B from the federal government would have a significant economic impact on the area. I would rather see money wasted on a tunnel in Syracuse than building a wall in no man's land to provide the charade of Mexican's no longer being able to immigrate.
 
Orangepace said:
I think some of you gleaned over the part where the federal government ponies up 80% of the costs. While I agree with all of you that I hate seeing money spent on something that is a bit over the top, $3.2B from the federal government would have a significant economic impact on the area. I would rather see money wasted on a tunnel in Syracuse than building a wall in no man's land to provide the charade of Mexican's no longer being able to immigrate.
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Syracuse's annual DPW street maintenance budget is $2.5 million. The most reasonable annual tunnel maintenance projection is $10 million.

Nothing the feds do would provide a tourniquet for that problem.

(And, based on the research I've seen, billions in federal tunnel spending wouldn't have any lasting economic effect - contracts will go to out-of-state firms with out-of-state workers, and we'll be stuck with an unnecessary tunnel, decimated east end of downtown, and that crippling maintenance liability.)
 
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OttoMets said:
Syracuse's annual DPW street maintenance budget is $2.5 million. The most reasonable annual tunnel maintenance projection is $10 million.

Nothing the feds do would provide a tourniquet for that problem.

(And, based on the research I've seen, billions in federal tunnel spending wouldn't have any lasting economic effect - contracts will go to out-of-state firms with out-of-state workers, and we'll be stuck with an unnecessary tunnel, decimated east end of downtown, and that crippling maintenance liability.)
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That assumes it's on time and on budget, which is highly unlikely
 
shandeezy7 said:
10 years of studies and no end in sight: A timeline of the I-81 decision

This is absurd at this point.
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It's really bad. Unless something gets resolved with the Mueller investigation and the administration gets a big shakeup, the FHWA reimbursement for infrastructure projects is likely to be cut from 80% to 50% in 2018. For a billion-plus dollar project, it's entirely possible that NYSDOT will balk at paying this increased share.

For a look at what that might mean for the I-81 viaduct, look up what happened to the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn (or drive on it). When a municipality doesn't act, NYSDOT will wash its hands and leave a decrepit roadway in place with an ongoing emergency repair contract.

John DeFrancisco might have really screwed this region with this nonsense.
 
Fly Rodder said:
"The useful life of the highway's 1.4 mile stretch through downtown Syracuse would expire in 2017."

This is absolutely absurd.
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For anyone who gets a chance to walk beneath the viaduct, look up. A lot of the concrete abutments are held together by temporary steel cables. The thing needs to come down ASAP. Instead these jackasses are playing politics.

At least we've now got a mayor in a position to advocate for resolution.
 
orangecuse said:
Absolutely. SU probably comes out soon and says something similar relative to the Dome renovation that appears to have about the same amount of indecision. :(
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I think that is very different. The university does not have the funding that this does. If the university had the deep pockets, the dome reno would be done by now.
 
xc84 said:
I think that is very different. The university does not have the funding that this does. If the university had the deep pockets, the dome reno would be done by now.
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I agree that wishful funding hasn't met their degree of hopeful expectation, however, I doubt that it would be done by now.

Opinions of course vary, but SU, for all intents and purposes, struck the Powerball Jackpot when the ACC threw them a life preserver and saved/invited them to the ACC. I believe the annual win fall/surplus (based upon info. I've read here, and elsewhere) is in the $20 mil/year neighborhood, and, likely more so once the ACC Network gets up and running. SU has the money, but it's always preferred/easier when using "other people's money." It's America, and generally the way it gets done...plenty examples of that in our culture.
 
OttoMets said:
Syracuse's annual DPW street maintenance budget is $2.5 million. The most reasonable annual tunnel maintenance projection is $10 million.

Nothing the feds do would provide a tourniquet for that problem.

(And, based on the research I've seen, billions in federal tunnel spending wouldn't have any lasting economic effect - contracts will go to out-of-state firms with out-of-state workers, and we'll be stuck with an unnecessary tunnel, decimated east end of downtown, and that crippling maintenance liability.)
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The state just spent almost $100M building a brand new factory that sits vacant. I'm tired of the State picking winners and losers with our money. The winners most of the time...never fulfill their promises of jobs and so it goes. At least the tunnel/grid option would benefit everyone. Congel could make some serious hay if he promises to kick in a $1M extra a year to the city for 10 years. In essence he would be just giving back the taxpayers money. The ball is in his court. If the tunnel isn't built his Mall gets hurt bigly.

Ten years of construction would definitely have an impact on the economy...and long term too. This is a federal highway...the $10M a year wouldn't be funded by just the City.
 

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