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The city of Syracuse will commit $75,000 to the creation of a six-story mural featuring four Syracuse basketball greats after the Common Council unanimously approved the expenditure Monday, pending the mayor’s approval.

The mural will feature WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart, Syracuse Nationals champions Dolph Schayes, Earl Lloyd and Syracuse University basketball player Manny Breland. Los Angeles-based sports muralist Jonas Never, famous for murals of Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods, has agreed to paint the artwork. It’s expected to be painted in late summer.

Frank Malfitano, founder of the Syracuse JazzFest and organizer of the mural project, said the mural is a way to address social justice issues such as racism and anti-Semitism.

“We’ve seen a renewed wave of misogyny and anti-Semitism and racism, and we can never progress as a city until we get rid of that. But I think we need creative ways to address it. And that’s what I love about the mural project,” he said.

Lloyd became the first Black player in the NBA in 1950 and won an NBA championship with the Syracuse Nationals alongside Schayes in 1955. Schayes, who was Jewish, faced anti-Semitism during his NBA career. Breland was one of the first Black scholarship players on SU’s basketball team and later became a Syracuse educator and school principal.

Malfitano said this mural could be the first of many in downtown Syracuse. Councillor Pat Hogan, of the 2nd District, supported this idea.

“I think people are eager to get out and see stuff. And certainly, as downtown starts to open up again, I could see people driving down and taking a look at some of the murals we’re going to have,” Hogan said. “I think it’s just something that public art is such a key thing for, the vibrance of the city.”

SU is one of the private supporters of the project, though it’s unclear how much the university has pledged to donate. Malfitano has also received assurances of support from New York state Assemblywoman Pam Hunter and Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli.

Other business

The council also approved the lease for the Tech Garden property on Harrison Avenue to CenterState CEO, which will use the city property to house startup businesses. The council previously held off on approving the lease, seeking clarifications about revenue sharing for the building’s proposed event space.

The building will be leased for 20 years with $1 of rent per year. CenterState must maintain the building at its own cost and will not share any excess revenue with the city.

At-large Councilors Michael Greene and Ronnie White voted against the lease. Greene said that CenterState’s unwillingness to negotiate with the council on revenue sharing, despite receiving public support, lost his vote.

“The real issue is that CenterState fundamentally believes that the taxpayers that own this facility should not be entitled to any revenue whatsoever,” Greene said. “For as long as this mindset prevails, nothing will get better in Syracuse. It’s time for the city to become an equal partner with the business community in central New York.”

The Common Council also approved the Syracuse Emergency Pandemic Plan, which provides a framework for city departments on how to react to any pandemics in the future. Gov. Andrew Cuomo required every New York municipality to make emergency pandemic plans.

A police detail will be placed at the Skyline apartments on James Street after a series of crimes in the building. Councillor Joe Carni — who proposed the resolution and represents the 1st District, which contains the building — said the apartment “has been a problem as long as I’ve been (on council).”

Police will be stationed at the building from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily for the next six months at the expense of the building owner.

Published on March 29, 2021 at 10:47 pm

Contact Nick: [email protected] | @NickRobertsonSU