A grant of $180 million is headed to Syracuse, as part of a federal program. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) made the announcement earlier this week.
Syracuse’s I-81 project director Joe Driscoll credits cooperation between the city, state, and federal governments as a big reason the city was chosen.
"We knew we were going big, and to hear that we came in as one of the top two or three money-getters in the nation is just mind-blowing,” Driscoll said. “We're so happy. We're over the moon."
The $180 million from the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program is earmarked to help communities that will be affected by the Interstate 81 reconstruction project.
Driscoll said in addition to infrastructure improvements to support housing, the money will help create more recreational opportunities.
"(It includes) making improvements to Wilson Park in the South Side, Roesler Park, building a linear park in between the two, and some of the features, expanding the basketball court, putting in splash pads,” he said.
Syracuse Councilor Pat Hogan (D-District 2) said while this is just the beginning of the money that will be needed to support the massive Interstate 81 reconstruction, this grant will help the neighborhoods affected by what he calls a “transformational project.”
"What's exciting about the area is that for the first time in years, we'll be able to knit together two distinct neighborhoods, that's the East Side and the South Side," Hogan said.
Driscoll said he expects to see significant progress on the I-81 project as early as this summer.
