City of Syracuse Open Call for Downtown Revitalization Initiative

Published on March 09, 2022

Projects selected for DRI funding will transform the Southwest Gateway Area and support a vibrant local economy

Syracuse, N.Y. – The City of Syracuse is seeking project proposals from the community after being selected by the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council to receive a $10 million award from New York State through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). Announced in late 2021 by Governor Kathy Hochul, this is the State’s economic development program that will allow Syracuse to develop a strategic investment plan to implement key catalytic projects in the Southwest Gateway Area and advance its vision for downtown revitalization.

Syracuse DRI Local Planning Committee Seeks Project Ideas from the Community

The City of Syracuse Local Planning Committee (LPC) has issued an open call for potential DRI projects to seek proposals for privately sponsored projects to be considered for DRI funding. The purpose of the open call is to hear from members of the community who have potential transformative projects on private sites that will provide economic and community benefits. This process will enable the LPC to fully evaluate  projects that could transform the Southwest Gateway target area in a uniform, open and transparent process. Submissions should include capital/construction projects, business expansion or creation, and renovation of existing buildings on private sites. Submissions should demonstrate commitment of private funding sources and discuss the project’s transformative nature and potential community benefits. New ideas are encouraged, along with established project concepts. All submissions should include as much information as possible on potential projects in order to demonstrate that the idea is feasible and will have a meaningful impact on the DRI target area. After submission, the Syracuse LPC and its consultant team, led by The Epstein Group, will work with project sponsors to gather additional information as needed.

All requirements for submissions can be found in the open call for potential DRI projects. A PDF of the open call for Potential DRI projects can be downloaded at the following link:

DRI Open Call Projects Form

Hard copies of the open call for projects are also available at City Hall Commons, 201 East Washington Street, 6th Floor, Syracuse, NY 13202. Project submissions should be emailed to business@syrgov.net by 5:00pm on April 15, 2022. The consultant team will hold a meeting to discuss questions about potential submissions on Tuesday, March 22nd  from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm via Zoom. More details about this informational meeting to learn more about the open call for projects will be available at SyracuseDRI.com.

DRI Process and Opportunities to Get Involved

The approximately six-month DRI planning process will be guided by a Local Planning Committee of representatives from City and county government, community organizations, local businesses, and local residents. The first LPC meeting was held on February 17, 2022, and the LPC will continue to meet regularly until the plan is completed later this year in August. The meetings are working sessions for the LPC, but they are open to the public. More information about these meetings, including recordings and future meeting schedule can be found at www.syracusedri.com/public-meetings.

The DRI planning process also incorporates robust public engagement to ensure that the strategic investment plan reflects the priorities of the Syracuse community. The first of three public engagement events is scheduled for Thursday, March 17 from 5:30–7:30 PM at the Southwest Community Center located at 401 South Avenue. Additional public workshop events will be held in the Spring and Summer as part of the DRI planning process prior to completion of the Syracuse DRI Strategic Investment Plan.

Please visit www.ny.gov/DRI for more information on opportunities for public input and the DRI planning process.