New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney proposed a $100 million renovation project last week to revitalize the west side of Onondaga Lake.

Cuomo has proposed borrowing $30 million for the project in his 2014-2015 budget and Mahoney has offered $2.5 million annually in county money, according to a Jan. 29 press release by Cuomo. The project, titled the Onondaga Lake West Revitalization Project, would include building new housing in Solvay, routing water taxis from the Syracuse Inner Harbor to the lake and cleaning brownfields, — former industrial sites that could be polluted — to encourage development, according to the release.

The plan also proposed an amphitheater that could attract prominent musicians and entertainers and offer an alternative to existing venues in Syracuse, according to the release.

Ryan McMahon, chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature, discussed the amphitheater proposal and its potential to bring talent to the Syracuse area.

Venues already in Syracuse, including the Onondaga County War Memorial and Oncenter, are too small to attract the most prominent artists, called “tier 1 shows,” McMahon said. The proposed amphitheater would aim to bring in prominent cultural events that other venues couldn’t accommodate.

“The tier 1 shows are the sweet spot we are trying to hit,” McMahon said.

The proposed goal was to have the amphitheater ready by fall 2015, McMahon said. He added that those involved with the proposal don’t know how many jobs it will create at this point. When asked if Syracuse University would contribute to the proposal’s development, he said, “it was too early to know for certain.”

The amphitheater will be perched on a piece of land that juts into the lake, located across from the state fairgrounds. The final design for the venue will be determined through a competition, according to a Jan. 29 WRVO article.

University Union likes the prospect of the amphitheater encouraging better-known artists to the Syracuse area, said Billy Ceskavich, UU’s president in an email.

“I think this amphitheater could be successful in attracting more high profile talent to Syracuse,” Ceskavich said. “I’d love to see the central New York area on the map for more artists across all programming organizations in the city.”

Ceskavich added that while he supports the project, UU would have no direct involvement in the proposal. UU would continue to focus on campus programming, he said.

Mahoney’s office did not return a phone call or email requesting comment.

The governor’s office also did not return a phone call.

Published on February 4, 2014 at 12:25 am