The City of Syracuse is garnering national attention for its plan to tear down the segment of Interstate 81 that divides the city, restoring the network of streets with a focus on walkability, opportunity, and correcting past racial and environmental injustice. The Dover, Kohl & Partners team has been tasked by Syracuse mayor Ben Walsh with assisting the City, giving the neighbors a voice, detailing the new “Community Grid,” and showing New York State Department of Transportation how to apply the most appropriate street designs.
Existing Conditions: The elevated Interstate 81 freeway tore through historic and underrepresented neighborhoods, dividing downtown from Syracuse University and devastating the 15th Ward.
What If: Removing I-81 will stitch the neighborhoods back together, unlock enormous value, and enable the City and state to recreate Almond Street as a grand, tree-lined avenue.
Mayor Walsh said, “This is another historic win for Syracuse and Central New York that will help us realize the vision of a Community Grid built for people. New York State Department of Transportation and the City of Syracuse will be better able to improve mobility, rebuild city infrastructure, improve transportation, and strengthen neighborhoods, parks and public spaces. I thank President Biden for committing to the Reconnecting Communities program and recognizing the importance of the I-81 project. And I credit Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for championing Syracuse for Reconnecting Communities funding. We look forward to continuing our work with Governor Hochul, Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez and their DOT team in maximizing the positive impact of the Community Grid for generations to come.”
The enormous potential that will be unlocked by the Community Grid spurred Mayor Walsh to feature the project in his latest State of the City address, and in March, his enthusiasm was matched by state and federal leaders:
“Thanks to support from the Biden-Harris Administration, we are turning the vision of a reunified Syracuse into a reality,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “The I-81 Viaduct Project will reconnect communities that a highway has divided for generations, proving that we can rebuild our infrastructure to support healthy and thriving neighborhoods. New York is setting the national model for major infrastructure projects that prioritize equity and community engagement.”
Gentle, human-scaled revitalization on the Northside
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, “When I became majority leader, I said I would deliver the federal investment to make the I-81 transformation a reality. Today I am proud to say a promise made is a promise kept as we deliver a whopping $180-plus million to lay the foundation for a more interconnected and dynamic future of Syracuse after the viaduct comes down. When I-81 was built it cut through the heart of Syracuse, it fractured a once vibrant neighborhood and left scars of systemic inequality that are felt to this day. Federal policies are what created the concrete walls of I-81 that divided Syracuse neighborhoods, and today the federal government is stepping up to right that historical wrong. With this funding, the federal government is shining a national spotlight on Syracuse and New York State, under Governor Hochul, as leaders in addressing the legacy of highway construction dividing neighborhoods and giving the support needed so that Syracuse can be a blueprint for reconnecting communities across America.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “This is one of the biggest investments in the transformation of I-81 and downtown Syracuse yet, and I’m proud to have advocated hard to deliver it. I helped lead the creation of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access and Equity programs, and over the past few years, I’ve brought key White House officials—including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu—to Syracuse to show them the enormous potential of the I-81 project. And today, all of those efforts are paying off. This $180 million in funding will promote growth, create good-paying jobs, and most importantly, build stronger, more equitable, and more livable communities on the South Side of Syracuse while ensuring that the people who live there can stay there. I’m a proud supporter of this project and I will keep fighting in Congress to deliver for Syracuse.”
Syracuse has been making regional and national headlines with the plan to remove Interstate 81 and restore the Grid.
Before and After: The Enormous Potential [Gallery]
