Plans for the development of the formerly industrial port area of Syracuse are about to take off with of a new hotel slated for construction in the city’s Inner Harbor this spring.

Construction of the $18 million, 130-room Aloft Hotel will coincide with other commercial and residential development in the lakefront area along the former Barge Canal, said Ben Walsh, deputy commissioner of the division of business development in Syracuse. This marks a significant step in COR Development Co.’s $350 million plan to develop 28 acres of the Inner Harbor within five to seven years, he said.

Despite the relative lack of development in the area currently, Walsh said the Inner Harbor holds an attractive location within blocks of Destiny USA, the Central New York Regional Market and Franklin Square in downtown Syracuse.

“We really expect the development of the Inner Harbor to start connecting the dots,” he said. And a waterfront location makes the hotel especially attractive, he added. “We expect people are going to make use of it.”

Walsh said the development project stems from when the New York State Canal Corporation transferred 34 acres along the Inner Harbor to the city in 2011. The intention was to develop the area, he said.

The city then selected COR to facilitate a mixed-use development project on 28 of the acres in the beginning of 2012, he said. The remaining six acres were earmarked for public access, he said, and host part of the Onondaga Creekwalk, the Inner Harbor Amphitheater and a parking lot.

Hotel construction is planned to take between 15-18 months, beginning in the spring, Walsh said.

While a representative from Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the parent company of Aloft Hotels, declined to comment, Aloft’s website describes the chain as “modern, fresh, and fun.”

Though the hotel itself, which was selected by COR and Starwood, may be geared toward a young and trendy group of people, Walsh said, ultimately the development of the Inner Harbor will not be limited to attracting this group.

“When the Inner Harbor is done, it’s going to be attractive to all different demographics,” he said. “We’re going to have professionals, empty nesters and everyone in between interested in living there.”

In an Oct. 3 press release from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, COR Development President Steven Aiello said, “As a Syracuse based company with a statewide presence, we are proud to be a part of the historic rehabilitation of the Inner Harbor, and recognize that it will stand as a symbol of the success that happens when government and private industry partner for the good of all New Yorkers.”

Since late 2012, COR’s work has been limited to planning and cleaning up eight acres of soil on the west side of the harbor, he said. The hotel is set to be located on the harbor’s south side, Walsh added.

Specific sources of funding for the hotel have not yet been identified. The development project as a whole has benefited from two state grants that have helped to fund soil remediation and site work, Walsh said.

These come through New York’s Regional Economic Development Council, which takes into account local recommendations when identifying regional development opportunities, Walsh said.

Walsh said that through the funding, Cuomo acknowledged the importance of development for the harbor.

In an Oct. 3 press release, Cuomo said: “The Inner Harbor redevelopment project has the potential to transform Downtown Syracuse and make the City’s waterfront a world-class destination for businesses, residents and visitors.”

Published on October 8, 2013 at 10:26 pm