Twenty million dollars of the New York state executive budget is set aside for Connective Corridor projects in downtown Syracuse and near Syracuse University on East Genesee Street.

The money was included in the $121.7 billion state budget enacted April 9. It is part of the $700 million Upstate Revitalization Fund, proposed by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer to promote economic growth in upstate New York.

Half of the $20 million for the corridor is for a pedestrian-friendly pathway between the Convention Center Hotel and Armory Square. The Convention Center Hotel is not constructed yet.

The pathway will highlight downtown’s assets, said Marilyn Higgins, SU’s vice president for community engagement and economic impact.

‘That’s so that visitors who come to the city have a really pleasant experience and want to come back and spend money,’ she said.

Though still in the design phase, the pathway will entail improving sidewalks, adding street furniture and lighting and reforestation of the area, Higgins said.

As for the remaining $10 million, the university will use it for a federally funded project on a section of East Genesee Street – between University Avenue and Interstate-81 -and smaller projects along the rest of the corridor, which extends from the university to just past the Warehouse in downtown Syracuse.

The state money for East Genesee Street will complement the $6 million of federal highway money Rep. Jim Walsh (R-N.Y.) secured in 2005. Also still in its design phase, the project will focus on improving street conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists, said Eric Persons, director of community engagement and economic development at SU.

But restrictions on the federal money limit what Barton and Loguidice, the engineering firm overseeing the project, can do with it.

‘They are going to inevitably design things that are not going to be paid for with the federal money,’ Higgins said.

That’s where the state money proves itself useful. With fewer restrictions, it can be used for more creative design elements, such as public art installations, Higgins said.

When Spitzer was still in office, he announced the $20 million for the corridor during an October visit to SU. It was originally part of his City-by-City initiative, an attempt to jumpstart major projects in upstate cities with state funding. The initiative was later incorporated into the Upstate Revitalization Fund.

To lobby in support of the fund, a delegation that included representatives from the university, the county, the city, SUNY Upstate Medical University and several regional development organizations went to Albany March 27. The Connective Corridor was among the projects the delegation discussed with lawmakers, who were in the midst of finishing the budget.

The Upstate Revitalization Fund was eventually reduced to $700 million from $1 billion – Spitzer’s original proposal, also supported by Gov. David Paterson after he took office – during budget negotiations with the state Legislature. But the money for the corridor remained.

‘The project will better integrate Syracuse University into the city’s downtown area, providing significant cultural and economic benefits,’ said Matt Anderson, a spokesman for the state Division of the Budget, explaining why the money for the corridor was not cut. ‘That’s why it was viewed as priority.’

Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli (D-Syracuse) said he has supported the Connective Corridor since Chancellor Nancy Cantor approached him about it about three years ago.

‘From a government standpoint, we’re trying to get to the point where we can showcase the city to students to show that it’s a great place to live,’ Magnarelli said. ‘There’s just a huge amount of schools (in Central New York) that produce fine students, and we want to keep them here.’

Other support for the corridor includes $5 million of federal transit money, also secured in 2005, but by Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer, both of New York. About half will pay for the free CENTRO bus service along the corridor, Persons said, while the other half will pay for additional buses and bus shelters.

National Grid also pledged $1 million, while Time Warner Cable promised to help develop Internet access points along the corridor route.

But even with that support and the recent help from the state, the corridor will likely require more money.

‘This will give us a really fabulous start,’ Higgins said of the state money, ‘but once people see what we’re doing, I’m sure they’ll want more money.’

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Published on April 23, 2008 at 12:00 pm