Development in and Around Syracuse Discussion

[KellySyracuse]

Exciting news
Return of art deco Rainbow Lounge on tap for former Hotel Syracuse

"SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The art deco-style Rainbow Lounge will make its return to the Marriott Syracuse Downtown later this year, the third and final restaurant at the resurrected former Hotel Syracuse.

Hotel owner Ed Riley said he expects the lounge, which is coming back as an upscale steakhouse, to open around September or October in the same first-floor space where the original Rainbow Lounge opened on April 8, 1937.

The new Rainbow Lounge will be a replica of the original, which boasted a streamlined art deco design with a circular bar, glass-block windows and entrance, terrazzo floor and multi-colored lights that gave it its name. "

original from the 1940's

 

[shandeezy7]

Was wondering what was going on here, since they cleared the site a year or two ago and then did nothing.

DeWitt project: 72 apartments, office, possible restaurants

The apartments would all feature high-end finishes.

www.syracuse.com

 

[Fly Rodder]

Was wondering what was going on here, since they cleared the site a year or two ago and then did nothing.

DeWitt project: 72 apartments, office, possible restaurants

The apartments would all feature high-end finishes.

www.syracuse.com

A luxury apartment right next to an active quarry and a highway that will soon be expanding and/or soaking up additional traffic?

No thanks.

 

[shandeezy7]

A luxury apartment right next to an active quarry and a highway that will soon be expanding and/or soaking up additional traffic?

No thanks.

Yeah it makes sense for office space, but not so much for high-end apartments.

 

[shandeezy7]

Saw this post on Facebook and figured it was worth sharing. Interesting conceptual renderings of a redeveloped 15th Ward (better known by many as the former Kennedy Square land, site of two failed/corrupt COR projects with the state - a proposed redevelopment project with SUNY Upstate and a proposed new county/city/SU shared stadium). It's a thesis project for an SU architecture student, and he provided a Zoom link for his presentation in May.

 

[KellySyracuse]

Have been impressed with how McMahon has handled this, better than I thought he would

McMahon unloads on unhappy golfers: ‘Are you kidding me?’ (briefing 4/7)

County Executive Ryan McMahon also addressed Easter and the youngest COVID-19 cases.

www.syracuse.com

 

[OttoMets]

Have been impressed with how McMahon has handled this, better than I thought he would

McMahon unloads on unhappy golfers: ‘Are you kidding me?’ (briefing 4/7)

County Executive Ryan McMahon also addressed Easter and the youngest COVID-19 cases.

www.syracuse.com

For a "conservative" so extreme he's said he doesn't believe in land use restrictions, yeah, he's exceeded expectations by a lot. He's pretty much gone full nanny state. And I'm totally cool with that.

 

[shandeezy7]

59 new apartments planned for Syracuse’s Franklin Square

The apartments will be part of the redevelopment of two former industrial buildings in the square.

www.syracuse.com

 

[Ghost]

59 new apartments planned for Syracuse’s Franklin Square

The apartments will be part of the redevelopment of two former industrial buildings in the square.

www.syracuse.com

I haven't been through in a bit - but Franklin Square seemed like a nice space. It is fairly nice place to live? Just curious on second hand reports, etc...

 

[Ghost]

Was reading through the thread on Chucks and saw the pics of the new housing on Marshall St - is it finished?

Why do all these buildings going up now look like extended stay hotels? Does Marriott or Hilton design these things for people in case they want to buy them in the future?

Every building that goes up now has to have that squared off block that drifts over onto one side. So bizarre how common that is.

 

[shandeezy7]

I haven't been through in a bit - but Franklin Square seemed like a nice space. It is fairly nice place to live? Just curious on second hand reports, etc...

Yeah, Franklin Square is a very nice area to live. Decent mix of condos, apartments and office space. The only thing it's missing is in the cafe/bar/restaurant scene. There isn't really much there, besides a coffee shop and a couple of restaurants on the outskirts.

Here are a couple of available condos in the square:

429 N Franklin St #409, Syracuse, NY 13202 | Zillow

429 N Franklin St #409, Syracuse NY, is a Townhouse home that contains 2694 sq ft and was built in 1999.It contains 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.This home last sold for $500,000 in April 2021. The Zestimate for this Townhouse is $555,300, which has decreased by $39,087 in the last 30 days.The...

www.zillow.com

429 N Franklin St #306, Syracuse, NY 13202 | Zillow

429 N Franklin St #306, Syracuse NY, is a Townhouse home that contains 1901 sq ft and was built in 1994.It contains 2 bedrooms.This home last sold for $350,000 in June 2016. The Zestimate for this Townhouse is $458,900, which has increased by $14,000 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for...

www.zillow.com

 

[KellySyracuse]

Yeah, Franklin Square is a very nice area to live. Decent mix of condos, apartments and office space. The only thing it's missing is in the cafe/bar/restaurant scene. There isn't really much there, besides a coffee shop and a couple of restaurants on the outskirts.

Here are a couple of available condos in the square:

429 N Franklin St #409, Syracuse, NY 13202 | Zillow

429 N Franklin St #409, Syracuse NY, is a Townhouse home that contains 2694 sq ft and was built in 1999.It contains 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.This home last sold for $500,000 in April 2021. The Zestimate for this Townhouse is $555,300, which has decreased by $39,087 in the last 30 days.The...

www.zillow.com

429 N Franklin St #306, Syracuse, NY 13202 | Zillow

429 N Franklin St #306, Syracuse NY, is a Townhouse home that contains 1901 sq ft and was built in 1994.It contains 2 bedrooms.This home last sold for $350,000 in June 2016. The Zestimate for this Townhouse is $458,900, which has increased by $14,000 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for...

www.zillow.com

I love the less expensive condo with the exception of the carpeting in the bedroom but holy smokes, the HOA fee is $435 a month plus $872 a month for property taxes.

 

[shandeezy7]

I love the less expensive condo with the exception of the carpeting in the bedroom but holy smokes, the HOA fee is $435 a month plus $872 a month for property taxes.

That's where Zillow can't be trusted, because those are all estimates. I just looked up the taxes on that property and total property taxes are roughly $4,600 ($383/month). Not sure how accurate the HOA fee is either.

 

[KellySyracuse]

That's where Zillow can't be trusted, because those are all estimates. I just looked up the taxes on that property and total property taxes are roughly $4,600 ($383/month). Not sure how accurate the HOA fee is either.

okay, I'm with you there about Zillow. When I was looking for my house a few years ago a majority of their listings were incorrect and my realtor made sure to tell me as such. Maybe they added the monthly property tax and HOA fees together to arrive at that $800 plus number.

 

[shandeezy7]

okay, I'm with you there about Zillow. When I was looking for my house a few years ago a majority of their listings were incorrect and my realtor made sure to tell me as such. Maybe they added the monthly property tax and HOA fees together to arrive at that $800 plus number.

They do at least put a disclaimer on their "monthly costs" section that they are all mostly estimates.

 

[shandeezy7]

Quick take. King + King does good work. Looks better than I might have feared. Needs street-facing retail on both frontages; hope that is revised in predevelopment with the city.

Aside: the city and its consultants drafted excellent zoning standards specific to the Lakefront before the neighborhood was developed, but they've been handing out variances left and right in the last decade. Bad precedent. Hope it doesn't continue with this project.

So the word now is that the BHG project is on hold indefinitely and may end up being scrapped totally.

 

[OttoMets]

So the word now is that the BHG project is on hold indefinitely and may end up being scrapped totally.

I feared that they'd have to reconsider expansion plans. Construction site's been quiet for almost two months, obviously. Hadn't heard anything about this project, I know that some others are quietly moving forward, but everyone's having a tough time lining up financing.

 

[Noexcuse]

Was wondering what was going on here, since they cleared the site a year or two ago and then did nothing.

DeWitt project: 72 apartments, office, possible restaurants

The apartments would all feature high-end finishes.

www.syracuse.com

Looks like this may be moving ahead. Drove past on the weekend and noticed construction was starting.

 

[shandeezy7]

I feared that they'd have to reconsider expansion plans. Construction site's been quiet for almost two months, obviously. Hadn't heard anything about this project, I know that some others are quietly moving forward, but everyone's having a tough time lining up financing.

Doesn't sound like financing was the issue, but more of a shift in company culture, with work from home becoming more accepted and prevalent. No need for a bigger office building if you're changing the model of how you use office space. I think the commercial real estate industry has to be terrified of this same scenario playing out all over.

 

[bballbeadle]

Looks like this may be moving ahead. Drove past on the weekend and noticed construction was starting.

We had long wondered what was going up there, but I wasn’t thinking it would be that complex.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I think the commercial real estate industry has to be terrified of this same scenario playing out all over.

Absolutely. I can do ~85% of my work from home with zero dropoff. Heck, I probably spent 90% of day just cooped up in my office with the door closed. But I miss being able to chat with colleagues about day-to-day stuff. Teams is OK, but it's not the same as random encounters through the day.

I also think that open office plans are going bye-bye as far as new designs go.

 

[shandeezy7]

Absolutely. I can do ~85% of my work from home with zero dropoff. Heck, I probably spent 90% of day just cooped up in my office with the door closed. But I miss being able to chat with colleagues about day-to-day stuff. Teams is OK, but it's not the same as random encounters through the day.

I also think that open office plans are going bye-bye as far as new designs go.

Yeah there are benefits to working from home, but I do think that it limits relationships, creativity and with some people, productivity (I worked from home for 4.5 years before starting a new job back in an office on March 2nd, only to go back to WFH 2 weeks later). While change is inevitable and can definitely have positive effects, I would hope that there aren't too many knee-jerk reactions made as we try to emerge from this, as the long-term problems they create down the road won't be able to be easily corrected.

 

[KellySyracuse]

has anyone tried this place yet?

Hidden Gems of CNY: An old trailer that serves the Dominican flavor from a vacant city parking lot

This well-used trailer serves Dominican food in a vacant lot on the city's Near West Side. And it's spectacular.

www.syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. — Believe it or not, you can find a new place serving great food during a pandemic. I happened by one last week.

And this gem is more disguised than it is hidden. It’s an old 18-foot camper parked in a vacant lot on the city’s Near West Side. At the corner of Seymour and Niagara streets you’ll find El Trailer del Sabor, Spanish for The Flavor Trailer.

Inside Lucy Diaz will be preparing authentic Dominican food, and her boyfriend Manuel Lopez will be at the window taking orders from customers.

“I love the look on people’s faces when they take their first bite of my food,” Lucy said. “People will try it, and they’ll come back, and they’re willing to wait for it if there’s a line. I like to test Americans with something new.”

She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she cooked three meals a day at home. She emigrated to the United States 10 years ago.

Lucy and Manuel met a few years ago. He was driving a taxi, taking her to work at Dominick’s Neighborhood Market on the North Side. She talked about her passion for cooking, and he commiserated about how ride-sharing apps like Uber were killing his business. They’ve been together since.

They bought this camper for $300 in LaFayette and gutted it, replacing the insides with kitchen equipment bought from a restaurant that had closed. After painting it blue with a red stripe and tacking on some white lights, they got their restaurant permit from the city in September and opened for business.

 

[OttoMets]

has anyone tried this place yet?

Hidden Gems of CNY: An old trailer that serves the Dominican flavor from a vacant city parking lot

This well-used trailer serves Dominican food in a vacant lot on the city's Near West Side. And it's spectacular.

www.syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. — Believe it or not, you can find a new place serving great food during a pandemic. I happened by one last week.

And this gem is more disguised than it is hidden. It’s an old 18-foot camper parked in a vacant lot on the city’s Near West Side. At the corner of Seymour and Niagara streets you’ll find El Trailer del Sabor, Spanish for The Flavor Trailer.

Inside Lucy Diaz will be preparing authentic Dominican food, and her boyfriend Manuel Lopez will be at the window taking orders from customers.

“I love the look on people’s faces when they take their first bite of my food,” Lucy said. “People will try it, and they’ll come back, and they’re willing to wait for it if there’s a line. I like to test Americans with something new.”

She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she cooked three meals a day at home. She emigrated to the United States 10 years ago.

Lucy and Manuel met a few years ago. He was driving a taxi, taking her to work at Dominick’s Neighborhood Market on the North Side. She talked about her passion for cooking, and he commiserated about how ride-sharing apps like Uber were killing his business. They’ve been together since.

They bought this camper for $300 in LaFayette and gutted it, replacing the insides with kitchen equipment bought from a restaurant that had closed. After painting it blue with a red stripe and tacking on some white lights, they got their restaurant permit from the city in September and opened for business.

Sounds great. Never been. About five blocks down South Geddes or so there's a fantastic Latin place called Jandy. Great pork. But I'll look forward to checking this trailer out as well. (As long as they don't try to serve me a side salad, obviously.)

 

[shandeezy7]

I posted this in the Coronavirus Updates thread but it's likely lost in the shuffle there. The comment from Eric Ennis, who is the Director of Business Development for the City of Syracuse, is interesting. I believe discussions surrounding closing down Walton Street to traffic were happening even before the COVID-19 crisis. Does anyone have any further insight into this? My guess is this project wouldn't happen without state/federal money and I have to believe the purse strings will be tightened greatly for the foreseeable future.