The Syracuse Common Council discussed selling 21 residential properties and monitoring asbestos at city demolition sites during Wednesday’s meeting.

The properties, many of which are rentals owned by limited liability companies, will be sold to the Greater Syracuse Property Development Corporation for $151 each. The land bank acquires vacant, abandoned or tax-delinquent properties in the city and returns them to productive use.

“This a perfect time for us to crack down on these landlords that haven’t been taking care of their properties, one, but also neglecting to pay their taxes,” said Councilor Latoya Allen, of the 4th District.

The council also discussed contracts with six companies to perform air monitoring and asbestos surveys during building demolitions in the city. The companies run tests during the demolition process and halt work if unhealthy levels of asbestos are detected, said Ken Towsley, director of the Division of Code Enforcement.

Contracting multiple qualified companies grants the city flexibility with awarding specific project assignments and makes for better applications from the companies, he said.

“I think the more contractors we have, the more competitive bids we’ll have,” Towsley said.

The council will allocate $50,000 for at least two years’ worth of the companies’ monitoring services.

Other business

The city is also working to reach an agreement with ShoppingTown Mall to use the facility for police training. Onondaga County is currently attempting to seize the DeWitt mall. The owners have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, delaying the foreclosure process.

“There’s not much activity out there, but we can really get down in the nitty-gritty of an active shooter scenario,” a city employee said.

The council also discussed a $100,000-initiative that would partner the Syracuse Police Department with local gyms and fitness centers to reduce youth violence. Patrol officers would work to build rapport with local at-risk youth and encourage them to participate in fitness and mentoring programs.

The initiative is promising and already in action informally across the city, the city employee said. Detectives and officers have started working out at the facilities when youth are, he said.

The council also discussed plans to equip the city’s fire stations with equipment that would remove carcinogenic vehicle exhaust fumes from garages. It will cost $550,000 to install the systems across the city.

Additional funding will be made available to pay for the completed University Hill bike path repaving project and other road resurfacing projects in the city. Federal funding is available to offset project costs on roadways, bridges, sidewalks and bike paths up to 15% of the total project cost.

Published on February 27, 2020 at 12:09 am

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3