SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Things are starting to look up for the Central New York Regional Market after a state audit criticized the market’s fiscal operations earlier this year.
The market is now working to put together a plan to help better improve the future of their future.
“It was really time when we had the leadership change here to have a real comprehensive plan,” said Ryan McMahon, the Onondaga County Executive.
The comprehensive plan is still in the early stages and has not been put together just yet.
“We want that plan to look at the physical campus and what improvements can be made, we want it to look at different space that we have here and look at re-purposing space, what kind of technology enhancements can be made,” said McMahon.
The plan is expected to include recommendations from not just the market and the county. But also, the outside community. Consultants are working to gather more information from community members, public officials, and the market’s tenants and vendors.
“I’ve been to other markets in other communities that have emerging economies, how do we turn this market into an epicenter for activity not just on Saturday and Sundays but to draw more people from around the state and around the country here? It is a unique tourism opportunity, you’re next to a lake, you’re next to an emerging center of the inner harbor, you have a baseball park. How do we create those connections between all the entertainment and infrastructure,” said McMahon.
Long-time tenant and owner of Emmi’s Farm said improving the facility’s aging infrastructure would be beneficial.
“I think there can be a lot of mixed-use here, you know other things going on, besides farmers vending here, which would be very beneficial to the community and the farmers too, having a vibrant market,” said Tony Emmi, owner of Emmi’s Farm.
The market’s CEO, Bill Fisher also agreed and is looking forward to the improvements that will eventually be made to the market.
“We think there’s tremendous opportunities to help the farm families, many whom are very reliant on the income that they get from our market but also the consumers that really value the prices that they see here, the variety, the freshness,” Fisher said.
Fisher said the market owns about 20 buildings on nearly 50 acres of land, which could be developed moving forward.
“Some of that are buildings that date back to 1938 that continue to serve their purpose but not as well as they need to,” said Fisher.
The county says the plan will take about six months to be completed. It could cost more than $100 million.
Fisher added in the next three to five years, the community can expect to see a transformation.
The community is being asked to share their past experiences at the market in an online survey. The survey focuses on a variety of things, including your likes and dislikes about the market, ideas or recommendations for improving the market, and more.
The survey can be found by clicking here .
Latest local news
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR.
Local News
Comments / 0