Chancellor Kent Syverud recently looked out a window of Crouse-Hinds Hall at an empty patch of dirt and gravel, a Syracuse University administrator recalled.

Syverud, in a meeting with construction officials, pointed out the fenced-off site of SU’s future National Veterans Resource Complex, said Pete Sala, vice president and chief facilities officer, at a public forum in September.

“He says ‘When am I going to see you guys putting a hole in the ground?’” Sala said. “That’s all he talks about.”

By January, SU officials expect to start construction on the NVRC, a $62.5 million undertaking that will centralize the university’s military and veteran’s programs. The building will feature modern glass facades and occupy the empty site at the intersection of South Crouse and Waverly avenues.

Adjacent to the currently empty lot off South Crouse Avenue is the Marshall Street area, an eclectic mix of restaurants, bars and clothing shops. Smokers congregate in alleyways, students chat outside Chipotle and the homeless sleep near a bus stop. Cars honk. The place, at times, smells of spilled beer.

With the NVRC construction, these streets — staples of life on the Hill for generations of SU students — are about to change.

The complex will sharply contrast the adjacent Varsity Pizza, the nearby Shirt World, Insomnia Cookies and dozens of other establishments, some of which have been operating for more than 50 years.

Syracuse’s Planning Commission on Monday will consider the NVRC’s site plan and whether it complies with a university-specific zoning district. The vote could represent a major step forward for a signature component of SU’s Campus Framework project.

Longtime business owners and developers on the Hill — some of whom have watched SU students grow up and return to Marshall Street with kids of their own — say change is inevitable. In some ways, they say, it’s already happening.

Courtesy of Syracuse University

For Jerry Dellas, president of the Crouse Marshall Business Improvement District, the NVRC is just part of an ongoing trend. The area’s density is increasing, he said. A student housing project off South Crouse Avenue, which displaced the popular bar Hungry Chuck’s earlier this year, is an example of that trend, Dellas said.

With an increase in density — taller buildings and more developed space — the Hill could become “Uber-centric,” considering a possible reduction of parking spaces at the NVRC site and no required parking spaces at The Marshall, Dellas said. More students and residents might use ride-hailing services, he said.

Parking in the area has always been a nightmare, said John Vavalo, owner of J. Michael Shoes and vice president of the CMBID. But with less parking, Dellas said he expects more pedestrian foot traffic and fewer vehicles on Marshall Street and South Crouse Avenue.

“That’s the trade-off,” he said. Fewer parking spaces, more foot traffic.

SU plans to build nine accessible parking spaces at the veterans complex, records show. Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, has said faculty and staff working at the NVRC can park at the University Avenue and Irving Avenue garages.

Previously, the NVRC site was home to SU’s Hoople Building and a parking lot with dozens of parking spaces. The lot was covered with gravel this summer. Hoople was torn down early this year.

Bill Nester, an owner of the popular Manny’s T-shirt shop on Marshall Street, said the NVRC could be a boon for local businesses, despite possible parking concerns. Manny’s has been open since 1949. Dellas, also an owner of Faegan’s Cafe and Pub and Varsity Pizza, agreed: The influx of people will benefit restaurants and mom and pop stores.

Nader Maroun, a Syracuse common councilor who represents portions of the Hill, said the NVRC could significantly transform the Marshall Street area and create a new gateway to SU. Maroun also serves as a CMBID director.

He said he didn’t have any concerns about parking or traffic.

Courtesy of Syracuse University

“Where will you ever see this many people associated with veterans … coming together (with) other businesses in the area?” said Maroun, the District 5 councilor. “It’s monumental.”

Property values might increase, Maroun said. The NVRC could spur adjacent businesses to redevelop their old properties. Jared Hutter, a principal of Syracuse 727 LLC, used a similar argument when his South Crouse Avenue housing project went before the Planning Commission earlier this year.

SU officials have previously estimated the NVRC will generate $300 million in “regional economic activity.”

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Maroun said.

Published on October 15, 2017 at 10:52 pm

Contact Sam: sfogozal@syr.edu | @SamOgozalek