2006/06/09
Latest Destiny update
Cross-posted from blogJosh. Previous Destiny posts are here.
It's been a couple of weeks since we checked in. In this time, there have been a couple of advancements.
Settlement sent for approval
The settlement agreement reached between developer Bob Congel, Mayor Matt Driscoll and County Executive Nick Pirro has been sent to three different groups for approval. The groups are the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA), which would be required to carry out eminent domain takings and sell construction bonds; the Syracuse Common Council (which serves the same function as a City Council or an Aldermanic Board); and the Onondaga County Legislature.
SIDA is scheduled to discuss and probably vote on agreement Wednesday of this week. The meeting is at 11 a.m., which means they don't want public input – at least from people who work a normal day. As a city agency whose members aren't elected, there are no political repercussions either way, and whichever way SIDA votes (they'll probably approve the settlement), they'll get hassle from the other side. Assuming they approve it, people will yell, and they'll have some work to do. If they don't approve it, Pyramid Managament Group goes ape, and probably takes them back to court.
The Onondaga County Legislature has already put off their vote until the Common Council votes. In my nearly three years in this city, this is the first time the county has ever correctly said, "This is a city issue. We'll let the city decide."
The agreement will likely be in committee for the Common Council this week, and probably won't get a hearing before the full council until the second half of June. One sticking point is that there appears to be a clause in the settlement that would exclude the council from any future decisions on the Carousel Center or Destiny.
Mall tenants get stay
One of the requirements of the settlement is that SIDA take the leases of 12 of the Carousel Center tenants by eminent domain. This, for me, is the big issue – if the city starts taking leases by eminent domain for private development, who would want to sign a business lease here? These leases have clauses in them that include availability of parking (number of parking spaces per thousand square feet of retail space within the mall) and a requirement that store officials approve expansion plans. While the latter sounds like the bigger deal, that's usually a rubber stamp process.
The former, however, is trickier. Since the first phase of the expansion will be built in the southern parking lot, new parking would have to be open before much of that lot is closed. One of the subsequent two phases would likely fill in the underground parking garage, which, obviously, would lead to a need for more parking.
The 12 tenants have each asked for a stay on the lease-taking; temporary stays were granted for 11 of them, and arguments for long-term stays for them will be heard June 19; decisions on those long-term stays probably won't come until the fall. The 12th tenant, JC Penney, will have a hearing for the temporary stay on June 19. This means it could be close to December before Pyramid's allowed to put a shovel in the ground (an act which is increasingly physically difficult come December in these parts).
It's a mall, people!
Right now, we have a massive mall. It's called the Carousel Center. Eventually, Pyramid is planning what is essentially an enclosed entertainment-and-shopping neighborhood called Destiny USA. Some renderings have it taking over most of the North Side of Syracuse.
Much ado has been made over Destiny – and much of the ado over the mall expansion has been Destiny-related. That ado has come from both sides. But in the end, the three stages of construction in the settlement agreement make a big mall even bigger.
Here's the thing. I'm not at all against development. But a big mall? What's the point? Giant malls are not the way to bring people into the city. They're a good way to get people off the interstate and then right back on it (which is why many malls tend to be built in suburbs or in far-off corners of cities – lots of room right off the highway). And this particular development is holding up the works on so much other advancement in the city.
Want to have your voice heard? Have some more info.
It's been a couple of weeks since we checked in. In this time, there have been a couple of advancements.
Settlement sent for approval
The settlement agreement reached between developer Bob Congel, Mayor Matt Driscoll and County Executive Nick Pirro has been sent to three different groups for approval. The groups are the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA), which would be required to carry out eminent domain takings and sell construction bonds; the Syracuse Common Council (which serves the same function as a City Council or an Aldermanic Board); and the Onondaga County Legislature.
SIDA is scheduled to discuss and probably vote on agreement Wednesday of this week. The meeting is at 11 a.m., which means they don't want public input – at least from people who work a normal day. As a city agency whose members aren't elected, there are no political repercussions either way, and whichever way SIDA votes (they'll probably approve the settlement), they'll get hassle from the other side. Assuming they approve it, people will yell, and they'll have some work to do. If they don't approve it, Pyramid Managament Group goes ape, and probably takes them back to court.
The Onondaga County Legislature has already put off their vote until the Common Council votes. In my nearly three years in this city, this is the first time the county has ever correctly said, "This is a city issue. We'll let the city decide."
The agreement will likely be in committee for the Common Council this week, and probably won't get a hearing before the full council until the second half of June. One sticking point is that there appears to be a clause in the settlement that would exclude the council from any future decisions on the Carousel Center or Destiny.
Mall tenants get stay
One of the requirements of the settlement is that SIDA take the leases of 12 of the Carousel Center tenants by eminent domain. This, for me, is the big issue – if the city starts taking leases by eminent domain for private development, who would want to sign a business lease here? These leases have clauses in them that include availability of parking (number of parking spaces per thousand square feet of retail space within the mall) and a requirement that store officials approve expansion plans. While the latter sounds like the bigger deal, that's usually a rubber stamp process.
The former, however, is trickier. Since the first phase of the expansion will be built in the southern parking lot, new parking would have to be open before much of that lot is closed. One of the subsequent two phases would likely fill in the underground parking garage, which, obviously, would lead to a need for more parking.
The 12 tenants have each asked for a stay on the lease-taking; temporary stays were granted for 11 of them, and arguments for long-term stays for them will be heard June 19; decisions on those long-term stays probably won't come until the fall. The 12th tenant, JC Penney, will have a hearing for the temporary stay on June 19. This means it could be close to December before Pyramid's allowed to put a shovel in the ground (an act which is increasingly physically difficult come December in these parts).
It's a mall, people!
Right now, we have a massive mall. It's called the Carousel Center. Eventually, Pyramid is planning what is essentially an enclosed entertainment-and-shopping neighborhood called Destiny USA. Some renderings have it taking over most of the North Side of Syracuse.
Much ado has been made over Destiny – and much of the ado over the mall expansion has been Destiny-related. That ado has come from both sides. But in the end, the three stages of construction in the settlement agreement make a big mall even bigger.
Here's the thing. I'm not at all against development. But a big mall? What's the point? Giant malls are not the way to bring people into the city. They're a good way to get people off the interstate and then right back on it (which is why many malls tend to be built in suburbs or in far-off corners of cities – lots of room right off the highway). And this particular development is holding up the works on so much other advancement in the city.
Want to have your voice heard? Have some more info.
