Annual Downtown Committee Fall Process Meeting Highlights the History of the City

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (CitrusTV News)– Thursday (Oct. 23) was the annual Downtown Committee Fall Progress Meeting where Downtown Syracuse’s evolution is celebrated. 

Editor in Chief of This is CNY and editor of Syracuse.com’s life and culture department, Katrina Tulloch shares her own personal story of witnessing transformation downtown. 

“Building the Erie Canal didn’t happen overnight. Building Armory Square didn’t happen overnight. This was a generation of people deciding to build, to improve, to strive for better,” she continued “so when we sit down for the 100th anniversary Fall Progress Breakfast other generations can look back and celebrate the decisions we made today to evolve downtown into a smarter, more innovative, more exciting, more efficient city,” said Tulloch. 

Executive Director of the Erie Canal Museum, Natalie Stetson recalls the past 200 years of the historic Erie Canal which celebrates its bicentennial this week.

“Allowing people and ideas to move from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and vice versa at speeds never before experienced like it took only seven days to get from New York City to Buffalo. Can you believe it? But really it was a great improvement over the weeks and weeks it took previously and you could take a lot more stuff,” Stetson said. 

She explained how this movement of ideas was pivotal for the development of downtown. 

“The Canal was not built through Downtown Syracuse. Downtown was built around the canal,” Stetson said. 

Curator of History at the Onondaga Historical Association, Robert Searing, highlights the historical features of downtown that show where the community has been. 

“Everyone in this room is driving the bus and bringing Syracuse into the future. We talked about 200 years of history. Here we are all together making the next 200 years of history,” Searing said. 

Community Engagement & Relations Specialist for the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Becca Flint said 19 new businesses have opened this year. The Downtown Committee of Syracuse celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. 

Reporter: Riley Fay