Two public outreach sessions this past week brought community residents, business and property owners, entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, arts and cultural groups and public artists, tourism and downtown business development associations, and public officials together discuss plans and timeline for the next phase of the Connective Corridor as it comes downtown.

See the presentation here and learn more about the project and timeline:  Connective Corridor Outreach Slides – January 2013

Meetings on January 23 at the Warehouse and January 31 at the CNY Philanthropy Center brought together large groups of stakeholders to listen, learn, pose questions and ideas, and join in the conversation.  The project is one of the largest collaborations around public works, infrastructure and urban design in the City’s history.

The Connective Corridor links the three major Universities on University Hill, major medical institutions and R&D Centers with downtown central business districts, neighborhoods, and more than 30 arts and cultural venues, as well as other community enhancements such as the Onondaga Creekwalk.  As a physical corridor, it represents the largest new civic infrastructure investment in many decades, creating new pedestrian pathways, streetscapes, green infrastructure, “green” bikeways, redesigned parks and urban spaces, and public art.  It is a showcase and test-bed for demonstrating new technologies developed by university partners and a burgeoning regional entrepreneurial cluster.  It is also intended to be a catalyst for new private sector capital investment in the City, fostering a strong and growing a vibrant creative community and robust new economy in downtown Syracuse.

Project co-sponsors include The City of Syracuse, Onondaga County and Syracuse University.

Scholarship in Action is also at the heart of the project with a corps of multi-disciplinary faculty and more than 450 students engaged in Corridor-related civic engagement projects to date.

To sign up for Connective Corridor project updates or send ideas, please send an e-mail to:  corridor@syr.edu