|
BY POPULAR DEMAND, SNI PHASE VIII TO OFFER INTEREST RATE BUYDOWN PROGRAMS FOR THREE SYRACUSE NEIGHBORHOODS
1% Interest Rates to be Available for Home Improvements Loans in Woodlawn, the Valley, and Eastwood
Additional Money Dedicated to Prospect Hill, Near Westside Initiative,
and Tipperary Hill
April 2008
(SYRACUSE, N.Y.)- Congressman Jim Walsh and Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll today announced the priorities for phase VIII of the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative (SNI). $600,000 in federal funding secured by Walsh will be used to provide 1% interest rate buydown programs for Woodlawn, the Valley and Eastwood. An additional $650,000 secured by Walsh will be made available to support ongoing projects for Prospect Hill, the Near Westside Initiative, and Tipperary Hill.
“The interest rate buydown programs visibly demonstrate the impact SNI has on our city and have proven to be one of the best ways for SNI to help the most people,” said Walsh. “The 1% home improvement loans were so overwhelmingly popular in the University Hill area, and especially Eastwood, that I am thrilled we are extending them to additional city neighborhoods.
“I am also happy that we're able to follow earlier SNI investments in St. Joseph's Prospect Hill project, the exciting Near Westside Initiative, and Tipp Hill with additional funds to help ensure that those visions become reality,” said Walsh.
Replicating the such successes in previous phases of SNI, the money designated for Woodlawn, which on the city's upper North Side, the Valley, and Eastwood, will be used to buydown interest rates to 1% for home improvement loans of up to $10,000. Those loans can be used by owner-occupants for needed exterior repairs such as roofs and porch work.
“A high priority in this round of SNI is to encourage additional private investment and the 1 percent buydown program has been successful at doing just that,” said Driscoll. “In addition, the funds secured by Congressman Walsh can help our housing partners take advantage of other initiatives including the $1 vacant home program.”
In addition to the loan programs, SNI Phase VIII funding will include:
$250,000 to support homeownership activities in Prospect Hill that will complement the rental housing under development around St. Joseph's Hospital.
$250,000 to support the Near Westside Initiative, which will leverage previous SNI investments of $5.72 million. These funds will be used to improve the Near Westside for acquisition, renovations, and limited demolitions to provide affordable opportunities for homeownership.
$150,000 for vacant property rehabilitation in Tipperary Hill, which will help to ensure that all the gains made under SNI will not erode due to the negative effects such properties can have on a neighborhood.
To date, Walsh has secured more than $50 million in federal funding for programming in Syracuse neighborhoods. That money has been supplemented by more than $8 million in local funds and in-kind services leveraged by a private-sector effort spearheaded by National Grid executive Marilyn Higgins, SNI chair.
Recently, at the request of Congressman Walsh, the Community Benchmarks Program of Maxwell School of Syracuse University conducted an analysis of the impact of the first three phases of SNI, which totaled nearly $25 million in investments. The study was conducted by graduate student Drew Bland, Professor Bill Coplin, with additional assistance from Carol Dwyer, director of the Community Benchmarks Program, and Paul Driscoll of Home HeadQuarters.
The study looked at six neighborhoods: Cannon Newell, Lincoln Hill, South Salina, Westcott, Tipperary Hill, and the Near West Side. It also looked ahead to the progress taking place in the Park Ave. neighborhood. Some of the highlights include:
- 1,226 homeownership units rehabbed or built by SNI programs.
- 633 new full-time jobs added annually in construction and related industries equivalent to the short-term local income generated by SNI programs.
- 161 new households added to the local area by SNI programs.
- Average number of days on market for residential properties declined or remained unchanged in every neighborhood
- New households added by SNI programs expected to generate $61,512,083 of local income to businesses, employees, and local government in the City of Syracuse from 2000 through 2016.
- New households added by SNI programs expected to generate $13,806,119 in tax revenue for local governments from 2000 through 2016.
- Tax delinquencies decreased in every neighborhood.
“Not only am I very pleased with the quantitative findings of this study, but I'm thrilled that it found a high level of organization among the neighborhood associations that formed out of SNI,” said Walsh. “In addition to the physical improvements, that may be the most lasting legacy of SNI -- the groups of people who will continue to be empowered and advocate on behalf of these neighborhoods.”
Copies of the study will be made available on www.syracusesni.org.
Burnet Park Drive Rowhouses Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
September 2007
Join us on Tuesday, Sept. 4th, 10am near the corner of Burnet Park Drive and Tennyson as Congressman Jim Walsh, Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll and representatives from the Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association will be on hand to help cut the ribbon and welcome the new homeowners.
Please call 474-1939 x249 or email info@homehq.org for more information. We hope to see you all there to celebrate a great addition to city living!
This project was made possible through the support of the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative and the City of Syracuse.
Phase VI of the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative targeted
the following funding strategies with $4.97 million secured by Congressman Jim
Walsh in Fiscal Year 2004:
August 4, 2007
$2.5 million for
rehabilitation activities in the Park Avenue
Neighborhood
Administered by Home HeadQuarters, Inc., the strategy will
restore and rehabilitate residential and mixed-use structures in the
neighborhood, giving special attention to neighborhood style and the
preservation of the unique architectural details and specialized millwork. The
highly concentrated investment will encourage and support owner occupancy and
provide incentives for new urban housing opportunities, with significant
planning involvement and oversight the Park Avenue Neighborhood Association and
the Park Avenue Neighborhood Watch group. The development of a mini-grant
program similar to the ongoing initiative in the Tipperary Hill, Lincoln Hill, South Salina corridor, and the Westcott Nation
neighborhoods is expected.
Honeywell’s contribution of $200,00, through Honeywell
Hometown Solutions, will be used to target exterior improvements to residential
homes in the Park Avenue Neighborhoods, provide an additional $1,000 grant
toward any home improvement loan offered through the proposed SNI VI Park
Avenue program and support public improvement projects in the neighborhood that
do not qualify for SNI funds.
“Honeywell has been involved in housing programs all across
the United States
and in other parts of the world. The progress being made in Syracuse
though the public-private partnership led by SNI, Congressman James Walsh, and
the City of Syracuse
is nothing short of remarkable,” said Honeywell director of Remediation, Dave
Wickersham. “Honeywell is proud to support SNI and the Park Avenue Neighborhood
Association, and we hope these funds will give SNI and the neighborhood the
flexibility to address community needs that normally do no meet traditional
deferral funding requirements. With SNI’s record of success, we know
Honeywell’s contribution will be put to good use in Syracuse.”
$220,500 for South Geddes Street
Corridor Improvements
These funds will support streetscape and other eligible
public infrastructure improvements on South
Geddes Street from West Fayette Street to Bellevue Avenue.
$250,000 to the City
of Syracuse
Department of Community Developments
To support the administration of the
Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative.
Additionally, $2 million was secured for gap funding of
various high-impact neighborhood revitalization projects city wide. The
signature projects supported were chosen through a Request For
Proposal (RFP) process offered to both non-profit and for-profit entities.
Preference was given to plans that addressed neighborhood stabilization,
potential for additional neighborhood investment, and the rehabilitation of
vacant and/or severely distressed properties.
The following projects split the allotted $2 million:
Hawley-Green:
Polishing the City’s Architectural Jewel ($475,000)
The
Northeast Hawley Development Association’s (NEHDA) goal is to eliminate vacant
structures within the Hawley-Green neighborhood with the objective of
increasing home ownership and stabilizing the neighborhood.
Tipp
Hill: Region’s Most Recognized Neighborhood ($100,000)
The
SNI Tipperary Hill Steering Committee will undertake its most ambitious project
yet and will develop four townhouse units facing Burnet Park Drive, with recessed – almost
underground – parking in the rear.
SNAG
Mini-Grant Expansion Program ($100,000)
The
Southside Neighborhood Action Group (SNAG) is a resident driven and resident
focused coalition that supports housing, employment, and the development of
neighborhood block associations. SNAG will expand south and east of its current
target area.
Near
Westside Neighborhood: Building on Success ($240,000)
Christopher
Community will co-develop a project that will leverage over $2 million in
private tax credit financing for the construction of fifteen affordable rental
units. In the center of the neighborhood, what was once the Ward Bakery is now
a large open space, and additional funding is targeted to make necessary park
improvements.
Strathmore
Association: Central Strathmore Rehabilitation
Project ($100,000)
The
Greater Strathmore Neighborhood Association will target a strategic impact area
by enhancing curb appeal to 20 houses and bulk bidding specific items to one or
several contractors working their way up a street to provide uniformity to the
improvements.
Gateway:
Southeast Gateway Housing Initiative ($360,000)
The
Southeast Gateway Community Development Corporation (Gateway) will continue
ongoing redevelopment work within the Southeast Gateway Target Neighborhood and
leverage previous investments. The project will focus on targeted acquisition
and redevelopment activities, including the rehabilitation and demolition of
vacant blighted properties.
Lincoln
Hill: The Shuart/Pattison SNI Housing Project ($75,000)
The
Lincoln Hill Neighborhood Association will continue a neighborhood
revitalization program, which started with SNI I and continued with SNI III,
and is consistent with the Lincoln Hill Neighborhood Association’s mission to
increase property values, improve the physical condition of the neighborhood
and promote owner occupied housing.
UNPA:
University Neighborhood Loan Program ($50,000)
The
University Neighborhood Preservation Association (UNPA) will create a
University Neighborhood Home Improvement Loan Fund Program. The loans will
target owner occupants and may be used for curb appeal exterior improvements.
These loans will be offered at a 1% interest rate instead of the market rate
presently established at 6.99%
Adapt
CNY: Wilson Building Redevelopment ($200,000)
Adapt
CNY, Inc. was created with the sole purpose of redeveloping vacant property in
Syracuse’s blighted urban
core. Adapt CNY will redevelop the Wilson Building located at the heart of the
300 block of South Salina Street into 33 market-rate residential units and
7,500 square feet of street level retail space.
Walier
Lofts – Formerly the St. Vincent
DePaul Building
($300,000)
Kennedy
Hancock Realty will convert the former St. Vincent DePaul
Building located on North Salina Street
in Little Italy into upscale lofts. The project will have two commercial
storefronts available for lease, 760 square feet and 1056 square feet and a total
of 14 high-quality lofts. Each unit is proposed to include an 8x15 foot square
balcony for city skyline views of downtown.
###
Phase VII
August 4, 2007
Congressman Jim Walsh and Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll announced
an additional $5,495,680 in federal funding secured by Walsh to restore and
rehabilitate residential buildings on the Near Westside and to provide
incentives for home ownership. Investments will also be made to build upon
successes in SNI neighborhoods across Syracuse.
"From Cannon-Newell and South Salina to Downtown and
Little Italy, from Westcott and Eastwood to Park Avenue
and the Near Westside, from Hawley-Green and Lincoln Hill to Tipperary Hill and
Strathmore, the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative makes an impact," said
Walsh. "We're investing in the vibrancy and sustainability of these
neighborhoods, while empowering residents and encouraging private investment."
SNI Phase VII funding will target the following:
Near Westside
Initiative ($2.25 million)
Leveraging previous SNI investments of $3.47 million, these
funds will be used to improve the Near Westside neighborhood for acquisition,
renovations and limited demolitions to provide affordable opportunities for
homeownership. This strategy is similar to what was undertaken in the Park
Avenue neighborhood under SNI Phase VI and will compliment improvements at Blodgett School.
W. Washington & S. Franklin Streets Development Project ($1 million)
Funding will support this exciting signature mixed-use
downtown development project.
Park
Avenue Neighborhood
Development Project ($500,000)
Further work in this SNI targeted neighborhood will include
acquisition, rehabilitation and possible demolition, if necessary, of
properties located throughout the neighborhood.
Prospect Hill Housing
Development Project ($500,000)
These funds will be used to accentuate the $35 million
investment made by the St. Joseph's
Hospital to redesign their campus. The primary focus of the SNI funds will be
acquisition, renovation and demolition of dilapidated residential structures in
the areas surrounding the hospital, further leveraging previous SNI investment
in the Northside neighborhood including Hawley-Green and Butternut.
North Valley Housing Development Project ($250,000)
This project addresses the redevelopment of blighted
properties in the corridor along Valley
Drive and Seneca Turnpike. The strategy will
target the "one house" on the block that if improved can stabilize
the neighborhood next to a major SNI investment at Shady Willows. Vacant
properties will be targeted for acquisition and rehabilitation or demolition,
if necessary.
Targeted Acquisition,
Development & Rehabilitation ($250,000)
Funding will address problem properties and on-going
development efforts within previous SNI target neighborhoods, including issues
that have arisen since the original SNI investment in these areas. Specific
projects would include the Tipp Hill Row Houses on Burnet Park Drive.
Central
Strathmore Housing
Development Project ($250,000)
This strategic impact area surrounds Most
Holy Rosary
Church as well as Bellevue Elementary
and Shea Middle School. Funds for this project
will go towards acquisition, rehabilitation or demolition, if necessary.
Eastwood – Interest
Rate Buy Downs ($250,000)
With more than 3,000 owner-occupied housing units in the
Eastwood area, the best and most efficient way of assisting the maximum number
of owner-occupant residents is to replicate the success of the University
Neighborhood Preservation Association's buy down program under SNI VI. By
injecting up to $2,500 into each owner-occupied loan, these loans can be
provided at 1% rates to a significant number of households for needed repairs
such as roofs and porch work.
City of Syracuse Department of
Community Development ($245,680)
To support the administration of Syracuse Neighborhood
Initiative activities in the neighborhoods.
###
SNI by the Numbers
|
Phase I (2000)
|
|
|
HHQ Scattered Site Rehabilitation & Demolition
|
$1,500,000
|
|
HHQ Lease Purchase
|
$150,000
|
|
Housing Visions-Revitalization of E. Genesee & Beech
Streets
|
$616,000
|
|
Empire Housing-Bellevue/Geddes Redevelopment
|
$444,500
|
|
Syracuse Model Neighborhood Corporation Astro Homes
|
$810,000
|
|
Northeast Hawley
Development Association
|
$31,366
|
|
Christopher Community-Northside
|
$78,034
|
|
City Cluster Demolitions-Revitalization Areas
|
$525,000
|
|
City Cluster Demolitions-Non-Revitalization Areas/Powelson
|
$525,000
|
|
ReLeaf Syracuse
|
$250,000
|
|
Eastside Neighbors Arts Cultural and Technology Center
Project
|
$20,000
|
|
Administration for City’s Department of Community
Development
|
$50,000
|
|
Total Phase I
|
$4,999,900
|
|
Phase II (2001)
|
|
|
Loew’s Landmark
|
$650,000
|
|
Hanover
Square Lofts Phase I
|
$610,000
|
|
O.M. Edwards Phase I
|
$994,280
|
|
HHQ Geddes
Street Improvements
|
$260,000
|
|
Housing Visions
|
$43,900
|
|
HHQ Near Westside Housing Package
|
$2,250,000
|
|
Southside Housing Package-Cannon/Newell
|
$2,130,000
|
|
HHQ North
Townsend Street Redevelopment
|
$1,849,434
|
|
Lincoln Hill Redevelopment
|
$100,000
|
|
Dunbar
Center (Renovations and
Elevator)
|
$250,000
|
|
Westcott
Center (Renovations)
|
$62,500
|
|
Bob
Cecile Center
(Elevator)
|
$125,000
|
|
Eastwood
Senior Center
(Elevator)
|
$125,000
|
|
Eastside Neighbors Arts Cultural and Technology Center
Project
|
$300,000
|
|
Administration for City’s Department of Community
Development
|
$249,220
|
|
Total Phase II
|
$10,000,000
|
|
Phase III (2002)
|
|
|
Lincoln Hill Neighborhood
|
$1,650,000
|
|
Lincoln Hill Marketing Brochure
|
$3,000
|
|
South Salina
Street Neighborhood
|
$2,290,000
|
|
South Salina Marketing
Brochure
|
$3,000
|
|
Tipperary Hill Neighborhood
|
$1,759,000
|
|
Tipperary Hill Marketing
Brochure
|
$3,000
|
|
Westcott Neighborhood
|
$1,750,000
|
|
Westcott Marketing Brochure
|
$3,000
|
|
Shady Willows Estates
|
$1,000,000
|
|
Hanover
Square Loft Apartments Phase II
|
$250,000
|
|
O.M. Edwards Phase II
|
$220,000
|
|
Loretto-Highland House
|
$100,000
|
|
Gateway Community Development Corporation
|
$50,000
|
|
Empire Housing-Tipperary Hill
|
$80,000
|
|
Administrative and Pass-Through
|
$279,000
|
|
Neighborhood Coordinators
|
$250,000
|
|
Marketing and Promotions
|
$288,000
|
|
Total Phase III
|
$9,978,000
|
|
Phase IV (2003)
|
|
|
Shady Willows
|
$250,000
|
|
Neighborhood Demolitions
|
$750,000
|
|
Home Value Protection Administered by Home HeadQuarters
|
$5,000,000
|
|
Total Phase IV
|
$6,000,000
|
|
Phase V (2004)
|
|
|
Northside Residential
|
$1,400,000
|
|
Northside Community Improvements
|
$100,000
|
|
Butternut Street Improvements
|
$500,000
|
|
South & West Sides-Green Vacant Lot
Program
|
$500,000
|
|
West Onondaga
Street Improvements
|
$500,000
|
|
Shady Willows
|
$500,000
|
|
Five Sisters
|
$300,000
|
|
Homeownership Promotion
|
$200,000
|
|
Neighborhood
Capacity Building
|
$300,000
|
|
Administration for City of Syracuse--SyraStat
|
$200,000
|
|
Total Phase V
|
$6,000,000
|
|
Phase VI (2005)
|
|
|
Park Avenue
Rehabilitation
|
$2,500,000
|
|
South Geddes
Street Corridor Improvements
|
$220,500
|
|
Administration
for City’s Department of Community Development
|
$250,000
|
|
Hawley-Green Neighborhood Stabilization
|
$475,000
|
|
Tipperary Hill Townhouse Project
|
$100,000
|
|
SNAG Mini-Grant Expansion Program
|
$100,000
|
|
Near Westside Neighborhood
|
$240,000
|
|
Central Strathmore
Rehabilitation Project
|
$100,000
|
|
Southeast Gateway Housing Initiative
|
$360,000
|
|
Lincoln Hill: Shuart/Pattison Housing Project
|
$75,000
|
|
UNPA: University
Loan Program
|
$50,000
|
|
Adapt CNY: Wilson Building Redevelopment
|
$200,000
|
|
Wailer Lofts
|
$300,000
|
|
Total Phase VI
|
$4,970,500
|
|
Phase VII (2006)
|
|
|
Near Westside Neighborhood Initiative
|
$2,250,000
|
|
West Washington & South Franklin
Streets Development
|
$1,000,000
|
|
Park Avenue
Neighborhood Development Project
|
$500,000
|
|
Prospect Hill Housing Development Project
|
$500,000
|
|
North
Valley Housing
Development Project
|
$250,000
|
|
Tipperary Hill Row Houses
Project
|
$250,000
|
|
Central Strathmore Housing
Development Project
|
$250,000
|
|
Eastwood: Interest Rate Buy Down Program
|
$250,000
|
|
Administration for City’s Department of Community
Development
|
$245,680
|
|
Total Phase VII
|
$3,245,680
|
###
WALSH AND DRISCOLL: SNI PHASE VII TO FOCUS ON NEAR WESTSIDE REVITALIZATION; Additional monies will be used to leverage momentum in neighborhoods throughout city
May 4, 2007
Syracuse, NY- Congressman Jim Walsh and Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll today announced the priorities for phase VII of the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative. $5,495,680 in federal funding secured by Walsh will be used to restore and rehabilitate residential buildings on the Near Westside and to provide incentives for home ownership. Investments will also be made to build upon successes in SNI neighborhoods across Syracuse.
"From Cannon-Newell and South Salina to Downtown and Little Italy, from Westcott and Eastwood to Park Avenue and the Near Westside, from Hawley-Green and Lincoln Hill to Tipperary Hill and Strathmore, the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative makes an impact," said Walsh. "We're investing in the vibrancy and sustainability of these neighborhoods, while empowering residents and encouraging private investment."
Driscoll said, “This $5.5 million is part of a $26 million investment we plan to make in neighborhoods in next two and half years. Because of strong community collaboration and the hard work of our neighbors, we are able to undertake projects to restore and rehabilitate our neighborhoods.”
SNI Phase VII funding will include:
Near Westside Initiative ($2.25 million)
Leveraging previous SNI investments of $3.47 million, these funds will be used to improve the Near Westside neighborhood for acquisition, renovations and limited demolitions to provide affordable opportunities for homeownership. This strategy is similar to what was undertaken in the Park Avenue neighborhood under SNI Phase VI and will compliment improvements at the Blodgett School.
W. Washington & S. Franklin Streets Development Project ($1 million)
Funding will support this exciting signature mixed-use downtown development project.
Park Avenue Neighborhood Development Project ($500,000)
Further work in this SNI targeted neighborhood will include acquisition, rehabilitation and possible demolition, if necessary, of properties located throughout the neighborhood.
Northside Housing Development Project ($500,000)
These funds will be used to accentuate the $35 million investment made by the St. Joseph's Hospital to redesign their campus. The primary focus of the SNI funds will be acquisition, renovation and demolition of dilapidated residential structures in the areas surrounding the hospital, further leveraging previous SNI investment in the Northside neighborhood including Hawley-Green and Butternut.
North Valley Housing Development Project ($250,000)
This project addresses the redevelopment of blighted properties in the corridor along Valley Drive and Seneca Turnpike. The strategy will target the "one house" on the block that if improved can stabilize the neighborhood next to a major SNI investment at Shady Willows. Vacant properties will be targeted for acquisition and rehabilitation or demolition, if necessary.
Targeted Acquisition, Development & Rehabilitation ($250,000)
Funding will address problem properties and on-going development efforts within previous SNI target neighborhoods. Funding will address issues that have arisen since the original SNI investment in these areas. Specific projects would include the Tipp Central Strathmore Housing Development Project ($250,000)
This strategic impact area surrounds Most Holy Rosary Church as well as Bellevue Elementary and Shea Middle School for acquisition, rehabilitation or demolition, if necessary.
Eastwood – Interest Rate Buy Downs ($250,000)
With more than 3,000 owner-occupied housing units in the Eastwood area, the best and most efficient way of assisting the maximum number of owner-occupant residents is to replicate the success of the University Neighborhood Preservation Association's buy down program under SNI VI. By injecting up to $2,500 into each owner-occupied loan, these loans can be provided at 1% rates to a significant number of households for needed repairs such as roofs and porch work.
City of Syracuse Department of Community Development ($245,680)
To support and leverage Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative activities in the neighborhoods.
To date, Walsh has secured nearly $49 million in federal funding for programming in Syracuse neighborhoods. That money has been supplemented by more than $8 million in local funds and in-kind services leveraged by a private-sector effort spearheaded by National Grid executive Marilyn Higgins, SNI chair.
The Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative is a public/private collaboration created in response to an urgent challenge issued by Congressman Walsh to revitalize distressed neighborhoods in Syracuse. The effort seeks to match federal resources with private, local contributions. At the direction of the City of Syracuse and Mayor Driscoll, the effort works in concert with existing community organizations to expand available housing resources, coordinate existing programs, and increase their overall effectiveness.
WALSH HELPS NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY WITH CREATION OF
"FREEDOM GARDEN"
April 18, 2007
Syracuse, New York - On Saturday, April 14th, Congressman Jim Walsh joined with members of the Vietnamese Community, the Franciscan Collaborative Ministries of Assumption Church, students from SUNY ESF, and Northside residents to introduce the design for the proposed Franciscan Vietnamese Freedom Garden. The garden will be built on two properties where dilapidated buildings, since demolished by Home Headquarters, once stood, and will serve as a neighborhood green space to be used by all Northside residents.
The project is a public-private collaboration between many entities including the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative (SNI), Home Headquarters Inc., the Vietnamese Community, and the Syracuse Community Development Department, among others. The funding for the project was provided by SNI through federal funding secured by Congressman Walsh. The design for the garden was developed by students and faculty from SUNY ESF with the help of the upstate Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects.
“The Freedom Garden is an important project in our effort to revitalize the Northside and celebrate its diverse cultures,” said Walsh. “I am proud that I have been able to assist them in making this possible, and look forward to seeing it completed.”
SNI was created in 1999 in response to a challenge by Congressman Jim Walsh to revitalize city neighborhoods and has been funded primarily through federal money secured by Walsh. To date, Congressman Walsh has secured almost $48 million in federal funding for SNI.
WALSH TO ATTEND GROUNDBREAKING FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ROWHOUSES IN TIPPERARY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD
November 2, 2006
(Syracuse, New York)- Congressman James T. Walsh will join the Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association, Home HeadQuarters, and area residents to break ground on the Tipperary Hill Rowhouses. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 2nd, at 10 am on the corner of Burnet Park Drive and Tennyson Avenue.
The Rowhouses are a new single-family condominium-style construction project. They will be constructed in an area that was targeted through the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative (SNI), which, through the City of Syracuse and Home HeadQuarters, offered curb appeal and purchase grants, home improvement loans, and rehabbed or removed blighted or troubled properties. The Burnet Park Drive Rowhouses site was previously occupied by two dilapidated multi-family walk-up properties, one of which was vacant for two years. Both were acquired and razed with SNI funding. The Rowhouses are considered a signature project on a street that has already seen much improvement including the removal of the old Krauss Glass building, exterior improvements to an existing business, and future street improvement projects including the addition of ornamental lighting.
"We have already witnessed great progress in this neighborhood and others through Home HeadQuarters and the SNI program," said Congressman Walsh. "This project is an important step in continuing the revitalization of the Tipperary Hill area."
"This project is an integral part of our neighborhood plan. Five years ago, Tipperary Hill's SNI Steering Committee identified the corner of Burnet Park Drive and Tompkins Street as the heart of Tipperary Hill. These beautiful houses will breathe new life into the area," said Janice McKenna, Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association President. "Their design maintains the integrity of the architecture of Tipperary Hill's finest homes."
The Burnet Park Drive Rowhouses highlight four individual units, each providing more than 1500 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, and off-street parking for two vehicles per unit. More than 30 people have added their names to an "interested parties" list for the Rowhouses so that they are the first to be notified when purchase offers will be accepted. The construction of the Burnet Park Rowhouses is being funded with $100,000 of the $2 million in federal funding secured by Congressman Walsh for SNI Phase VI, and is slated to be completed in spring 2007. Anyone interested in the new construction should contact Home Head Quarters at 315-474-1939 x245 or via email at info@homehq.org.
Other projects funded by SNI Phase VI include:
- $475,000 to eliminate vacant structures in the Hawley-Green neighborhood
- $100,000 to expand the Southside Neighborhood Action Group (SNAG) mini-grant program
- $240,000 for Christopher Community to co-develop a project that will leverage over $2 million in private tax credit financing for the construction of fifteen affordable rental units. Additional funding is targeted to make park improvements to an open space in the neighborhood.
- $100,000 to the Greater Strathmore Rehabilitation Project to target a specific impact area by enhancing curb appeal to 20 houses, bulk bidding specific items to one or several contractors working their way up a street to provide uniformity to the improvements.
- $360,000 for the Southeast Gateway Community Development Division to continue ongoing redevelopment work within the Southeast Gateway Target Neighborhood and leverage previous investments.
- $75,000 for the Lincoln Hill Neighborhood Association to continue its neighborhood revitalization program consistent with their mission to increase property values, improve the physical condition of the neighborhood, and promote owner occupied housing.
- $50,000 to the University Neighborhood Preservation Association (UNPA) to create a University Neighborhood Home Improvement Loan Fund Program to offer low-interest loans owner occupants for curb-appeal exterior improvements.
- $200,000 for Adapt CNY, Inc. to redevelop the Wilson Building into 33 market rate residential units and 7,500 square feet of street level retail space.
- $300,000 for Kennedy Hancock Realty to convert the former St. Vincent DePaul Building in Little Italy into upscale lofts. The project will have two commercial storefronts and a total of 14 high-quality lofts.
The Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative, a public-private, non-profit collaboration created to help encourage new housing and investment opportunities in the city began through the efforts of Congressman James Walsh. Since SNI's inception, Congressman Walsh has secured almost $48 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding for the effort. Those funds have leveraged more than $35 million in additional private sector monies and garnered $8 million in private pledges for other SNI related activities including targeted neighborhood curb appeal grants, the Syracuse Home Value Protection Program, other neighborhood and park improvements, new home construction, community center improvements, and neighborhood group capacity building. The Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative is currently chaired by Marilyn Higgins, Vice President of Economic Development for National Grid.
Home HeadQuarters is the largest housing and neighborhood revitalization organization in Central New York. Since 1996, Home HeadQuarters has assisted more than 1,700 Syracuse residents with major home repair totaling $22 million, and provided counseling and/or financial assistance to more than 4,500 prospective homebuyers helping to generate more than $88 million in purchase and mortgage financing in the Syracuse area.
DUPLI ENVELOPE & GRAPHICS TO OFFER EMPLOYER-ASSISTED HOUSING IN CITY THROUGH SNI
October 23, 2006
Syracuse, New York- Congressman Jim Walsh today announced that Dupli Envelope & Graphics will immediately begin offering an employer-assisted housing benefit to company employees interested in purchasing a home in the City of Syracuse.
Under the program, Dupli will award grants of $1,000 per employee for the purpose of helping achieve home ownership in the City of Syracuse. In addition, the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative (SNI) will match the $1,000 Dupli grant dollar for dollar. The $2,000 total home ownership grant may be used for down payment costs, closing costs, home inspection fees, title insurance, and attorney's fees (for both home buyer and bank) in conjunction with the purchase of an eligible home.
"With this announcement, Dupli Envelope & Graphics joins a growing list of local companies who are making a substantial investment in their employees and our community," said Walsh. "By providing this assistance to its employees, Dupli is supporting home ownership, encouraging investment in city neighborhoods, and strengthening our community's urban core."
"Dupli Envelope & Graphics is proud to become a full Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative partner," said Kemper Matt, President and CEO of Dupli Envelope & Graphics. "Programs like employer-assisted housing make sense--they’re good for the employee, the employer and benefit the whole community."
All full-time Dupli Envelope & Graphics employees who have been employed at Dupli for at least one year - regardless of income - are eligible to participate in the program. Dupli employs 120 individuals, most of whom are full-time employees. The purchased home must be a single-or two-family home or townhouse located within the city that will be used as the employee's primary residence. In addition to the $2,000 Dupli / SNI financial package, participating employees are also eligible to benefit from a host of other products and programs including other purchase incentives offered through Home HeadQuarters, Inc., the private, local not-for-profit housing agency selected to administer the program on behalf of Dupli.
Other SNI-supported employer-assisted housing programs available in Syracuse and similar to Dupli’s include programs at St. Joseph's Hospital and Health Center, Rural/Metro Medical Services of Central New York, Le Moyne College, and Syracuse University. Local employers interested in adding an Employer Assisted Housing Program to their benefits packages should contact Home HeadQuarters at (315) 474-1929 x249 or via email at info@homehq.org.
To date, Walsh has secured just under $48 million in federal funding for programming in Syracuse neighborhoods. That money has been supplemented by over $5 million in local funds and in-kind services leveraged by a private-sector effort currently led by National Grid executive Marilyn Higgins, SNI Chair.
The Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative is a public/private collaboration created in 1999 in response to an urgent challenge issued by Congressman Walsh to revitalize distressed neighborhoods in Syracuse. The effort seeks to match federal resources with private, local contributions. At the direction of the City of Syracuse and Mayor Driscoll, the effort works in concert with existing community organizations to expand available housing resources, coordinate existing programs, and increase their overall effectiveness.
AREA GROUPS HELP REVITALIZE PARK AVENUE NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH WALSH'S SNI PROGRAM
Sunday, September 19, 2006 1-5pm
Syracuse, New York- Nearly 100 neighbors and volunteers from various community organizations came out last weekend to help administer Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative's (SNI) Park Avenue/Sacred Heart neighborhood revitalization program. The $2.5 million Park Avenue strategy is the key component of SNI Phase VI.
SNI was created in 1999 in response to a challenge by Congressman Jim Walsh to revitalize city neighborhoods and has been funded primarily through federal money secured by Walsh. To date, Congressman Walsh has secured almost $48 million in federal funding for SNI.
Several private organizations have also contributed to SNI. In March of this year, Honeywell donated $200,000 that was used to help fund the latest work on Park Avenue.
For more information on the neighborhood project, view Honeywell's newsletter here.
HOME MAKEOVERS ON SYRACUSE'S WESTSIDE--100 VOLUNTEERS PAINT AND LANDSCAPE
Sunday, September 10, 2006 1-5pm
RAIN DATE: Sunday, September 17, 1-5pm
Syracuse, New York - More than 100 volunteers from Congregation Beth Sholom, Syracuse University, the
Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, The Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors, Honeywell and Rebuilding Together will be joining Home HeadQuarters staff and Park Avenue residents in landscaping and painting eight neighborhood properties.
The work, done free of charge for homeowners, will be made possible through a donation
from Honeywell to the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative and Home HeadQuarters for revitalization efforts in the Park Avenue neighborhood and by volunteers from Congregation Beth Sholom as part of their community outreach program and in celebration of Rosh Hashanah . Home HeadQuarters, through the City of Syracuse and the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative, is currently providing other neighborhood improvements to this area with home improvement loans, mini-grants and property rehabilitation projects.
The seven private residences and one pedestrian pathway will be cleaned and landscaped and the homes will be painted. Haynes Painting of Syracuse donated time to safely scrape and prime the houses prior to the volunteer painting work.
The work will be done on the 700 block of Park Avenue. A meeting will be held at Frazer School on Park Avenue and Wall Street
NEWS COVERAGE: See Coverage of Event from Honeywell's website
SNI PHASE VI RFP AWARDS ANNOUNCED - Funded Projects Will Address High-Impact Neighborhood Efforts
June 19, 2006
Syracuse, New York - Congressman Jim Walsh and Mayor Matthew Driscoll today announced ten awards to neighborhood-based organizations as part of the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative Phase VI's recent Request For Proposals (RFP) process.
Funded projects will split $2 million in allotted Phase VI funding:
Hawley-Green: Polishing the City’s Architectural Jewel ($475,000)
The Northeast Hawley Development Association’s (NEHDA) goal is to eliminate vacant structures within the Hawley-Green neighborhood with the objective of increasing home ownership and stabilizing the neighborhood.
Tipp Hill: Region’s Most Recognized Neighborhood ($100,000)
The SNI Tipperary Hill Steering Committee will undertake its most ambitious project yet and will develop four townhouse units facing Burnet Park Drive, with recessed – almost underground – parking in the rear.
SNAG Mini-Grant Expansion Program ($100,000)
The Southside Neighborhood Action Group (SNAG) is a resident driven and resident focused coalition that supports housing, employment, and the development of neighborhood block associations. SNAG, will expand south and east of its current target area.
Near Westside Neighborhood: Building on Success ($240,000)
Christopher Community will co-develop a project that will leverage over $2 million in private tax credit financing for the construction of fifteen affordable rental units. In the center of the neighborhood, a large open space exists that was once the Ward Bakery and additional funding is targeted to make necessary park improvements.
Strathmore Association: Central Strathmore Rehabilitation Project ($100,000)
The Greater Strathmore Neighborhood Association will target a strategic impact area by enhancing curb appeal to 20 houses, bulk bidding specific items to one or several contractors working their way up a street to provide uniformity to the improvements.
Gateway: Southeast Gateway Housing Initiative ($360,000)
The Southeast Gateway Community Development Corporation (Gateway) will continue ongoing redevelopment work within the Southeast Gateway Target Neighborhood and leverage previous investments. The project will focus on targeted acquisition and redevelopment activities, including the rehabilitation and demolition of vacant blighted properties.
Lincoln Hill: The Shuart/Pattison SNI Housing Project ($75,000)
The Lincoln Hill Neighborhood Association will continue a neighborhood revitalization program started with SNI I and continued with SNI III consistent with the Lincoln Hill
Neighborhood Association’s mission to increase property values, improve the physical condition of the neighborhood and promote owner occupied housing.
UNPA: University Neighborhood Loan Program ($50,000)
The University Neighborhood Preservation Association (UNPA) will create a University Neighborhood Home Improvement Loan Fund Program. The loans will target owner occupants and may be used for curb appeal exterior improvements. These loans will be offered at a 1% interest rate instead of the market rate presently established at 6.99%
Adapt CNY: Wilson Building Redevelopment ($200,000)
Adapt CNY, Inc. was created with the sole purpose of redeveloping vacant property in
Syracuse’s blighted urban core. Adapt CNY will redevelop the Wilson Building located at the heart of the 300 block of South Salina Street into 33 market-rate residential units and 7,500 square feet of street level retail space.
Walier Lofts – Formerly the St. Vincent DePaul Building ($300,000)
Kennedy Hancock Realty will convert the former St. Vincent DePaul Building located on North Salina Street in Little Italy into upscale lofts. The project will have two commercial storefronts available for lease, 760 square feet and 1056 square feet and a total of 14 high-quality lofts. Each unit is proposed to include an 8x15 foot square balcony for city skyline views of downtown.
The neighborhood organizations will work with the City’s Community Development Department and will partner with various community agencies such as Home HeadQuarters, Inc.; The Gifford Foundation; the Interfaith Housing Corporation; and Syracuse Model Neighborhood Corporation to bring their proposals to fruition.
Both non-profit and for-profit entities were invited to participate in the RFP process, and more than one proposal per entity could be considered. Preference was given to projects that support existing plans developed by Tomorrow's Neighborhoods Today (TNT) that address neighborhood stabilization, potential for additional neighborhood investment, and the rehabilitation of vacant and/or severely distressed properties.
Applications were reviewed by an independent committee comprised of representatives from the City of Syracuse Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC), TNT, Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative Trust Fund, NeighborWorks America, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., Syracuse 20/20, the Metropolitan Development Association, the President of the Syracuse Common Council, Congressman Walsh's Office (ex-officio), the City of Syracuse Department of Community Development (ex-officio) and the Chair of the Common Council’s Neighborhood Preservation, Downtown and Metropolitan Planning Committee (ex-officio).
Two national community development consultant firms - NeighborWorks America and
Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. - assisted with the process at the invitation of Congressman Walsh. The City of Syracuse Corporation Counsel oversaw and advised the selection process. Pursuant to City law, final Common Council approval is needed before funding can be released. SNI Phase VI priorities ($4.97 million total funding) were announced in March. Details on the RFP process were announced on April 19th. Completed proposals were due on May 19th.
To date, Walsh has secured just under $49 million in federal funding for programming in Syracuse neighborhoods. That money has been supplemented by over $8 million in local funds and in-kind services leveraged by a private-sector effort currently led by National Grid executive Marilyn Higgins, SNI Chair.
The Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative is a public/private collaboration created in response to an urgent challenge issued by Congressman Walsh to revitalize distressed neighborhoods in Syracuse. The effort seeks to match federal resources with private, local contributions. At the direction of the City of Syracuse and Mayor Driscoll, the effort works in concert with existing community organizations to expand available housing resources, coordinate existing programs, and increase their overall effectiveness.
Walsh Challenges Business Community to Match Newest Federal Investment in City Neighborhoods; Congressman Secures $1 Million in FY 2007 Budget for SNI
June 9, 2006
Syracuse, New York – Congressman Jim Walsh today joined U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in attending the 10th Anniversary celebration of Home HeadQuarters, Inc.; a Syracuse-based not-for-profit housing organization advancing the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative.
At the event, Walsh announced that he has secured $1 million in FY 2007 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development housing initiative funding for the establishment of Phase IX of the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative (SNI). Walsh was able to include the funding in the FY 2007 Transportation-Treasury-HUD Appropriations bill passed earlier this week by the full House Appropriations Committee.
“This is a difficult federal budget year, and all the expenditures are under great scrutiny,” said Walsh. “I am thankful that my colleagues agreed that the past progress and success of ANI deserved additional resources this coming year. I challenge our local private sector to match this newest federal investment in the City of Syracuse.”
Originally zeroed out, Walsh worked hard to restore funding for select neighborhood initiative programming around the country, and SNI has remained the main benefactor of those efforts. Since FY 1999, Walsh has secured just under $49 million in local funds and in-kind services leveraged by a private-sector effort currently led by National Grid executive Marilyn Higgins, SNI chair.
The Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative is a public-private collaboration created in response to an urgent challenge issued by Congressman Walsh to revitalize distressed neighborhoods in Syracuse. The effort seeks to match federal resources with private, local contributions. At the direction of the City of Syracuse, the effort works in concert with existing community organizations to expand available housing resources, coordinate existing programs, and increase their overall effectiveness. Home HeadQuarters remains the lead not-for-profit coordinating agency for SNI activities in Syracuse.
Unity Mutual To Offer Employer-Assisted Housing In City Through The Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative. Syracuse's Oldest Life Insurance Company Becomes Full SNI Partner
May 8, 2006
Syracuse, New York - Congressman Jim Walsh today proudly announced that Unity Mutual Life Insurance Company will immediately begin offering an employer-assisted housing benefit to company employees interested in purchasing a home in the City of Syracuse.
Under the program, Unity Mutual will award grants of $1,000 per employee for the purpose of helping achieve home ownership in the City of Syracuse. In addition, the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative (SNI) will match the $1,000 Unity Mutual grant dollar for dollar. The $2,000 total home ownership grant may be used for down payment costs, closing costs, home inspection fees, title insurance, and attorney's fees (for both home buyer and bank) in conjunction with the purchase of an eligible home.
"With this announcement, Unity Mutual joins a growing list of local companies who are making a substantial investment in their employees |
