Onondaga County's $500,000 Bet on Data Centers

Hope everyone celebrating had a great fathers day weekend! Onondaga County just put a price tag on patience: $500,000 to study what data centers actually mean for water, power, and noise before more proposals land on town boards. Meanwhile, the state is backing two very different kinds of community investment this week, a $130 million housing project finally breaking ground at the old Developmental Center site, and $11.5 million headed to Schiller Park for a rebuilt pool. Add in a packed events calendar for the last week of June, World Cup watch parties, the Middle Eastern Cultural Festival, and there's plenty to plan around. Let's get into it.

County Executive Ryan McMahon announced the county is committing $500,000 to a study on data centers, covering everything from water and energy use to noise and environmental impact. The study won't take a side for or against data centers. County Planning Director Troy Waffner says the goal is giving local planning boards the tools to make informed decisions as more proposals land on their desks, since the county itself can't approve or ban these projects, that power sits with individual towns and the state. McMahon says towns have been asking for help, and results are expected by year's end, around the same time a separate statewide moratorium bill sits on the Governor's desk.

The take: A neutral study probably won't satisfy anyone who's already picked a side, but with proposals popping up faster than towns can evaluate them, more information beats none.

Governor Hochul announced demolition is complete at the long-vacant Syracuse Developmental Center site on South Wilbur Avenue, clearing the way for construction on the first phase of a $130 million redevelopment. Phase one alone brings more than 260 affordable apartments, with the full three-phase plan eventually adding up to 500 units of housing, 7.5 acres of green space, and room for advanced manufacturing and retail. The project is explicitly framed as part of the region's plan to keep up with housing demand as Micron's workforce arrives.

The take: Every housing announcement these days gets filtered through "will this help with Micron," and this one aligns with that sentiment.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and assembly member Bill Magnarelli announced $11.5 million in state funding for Schiller Park, with $10 million of it earmarked for rebuilding the park's pool. The announcement came as part of Heastie's statewide tour, the same tour that's previously sent state money toward the JMA Dome and other local projects.

The take: A new community pool doesn't make national headlines, but it actually changes a neighborhood's summer and childhood memories.

The village of Skaneateles, one of the wealthiest pockets of CNY, approved a budget this spring that translates to a 76% property tax increase, the steepest jump in over a decade. For homes along the lake, that means tax bills climbing by $10,000 or more, but residents say the hit lands hardest on middle-class and older homeowners whose assessments got swept up in a town-wide revaluation. The village board passed the $6.2 million budget unanimously in April after a public hearing where, according to meeting minutes, nobody showed up to comment. Now that the bills have actually landed, longtime residents are pushing back, pointing out that the picturesque lake town has plenty of people who aren't summer-house wealthy.

Cazenovia Pride, the LGBTQ nonprofit behind the town's annual pride festival, voted to dissolve and cancel this year's event after founder Travis Longo was arrested on charges that he engaged in a pattern of sexually explicit communications with a child under 12. Longo also serves as vice president of the Cazenovia school board. Group president Danielle Synborski called the decision mission-driven, saying the organization didn't want this to overshadow the community it was built to support.

The former Owera Vineyards on Cazenovia Lake has new owners after two years of limbo. The Zazzara family, known for the Pizze Fritte stand at the State Fair, bought the 57-acre estate, renamed it The Villa Estate Vineyards, and plans to reopen this summer as a working winery, tasting room, and restaurant. The real draw for Syracuse diners is the kitchen: Fellows', a new American tavern opening in July, reunites Lauren Markowitz and Alex Fiacchi, the team behind the beloved A Mano Kitchen & Bar before they left Syracuse in 2023..

The take: A Mano closing in 2023 stung for a lot of people. Getting that team back in CNY, even at a vineyard instead of a downtown storefront is a win.

The Academy Award-winning sound designer behind Star Wars grew up on Haffenden Road, and he snuck a Syracuse sounds into the soundtrack.

Ben Burtt's film credits include Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., and WALL-E, and before all that he was a kid on Haffenden Road and a Nottingham High grad. The post above includes clips of him talking about his Syracuse childhood and how a holiday snowstorm in Syracuse made it into Star Wars. I will be saving this to dunk on my “out of town friends” who are Star Wars fans.

If you've wandered through the Gear Factory on Geddes Street, there's a good chance you've stumbled into Rachel Anderson's studio. The building is now home to 19 art studios spread across 65,000 square feet, and Anderson works full-time out of a shared first-floor space filled with collage and abstract work.

Anderson moved to Syracuse a few years ago after time in Austin and Minneapolis. "Syracuse is kind of a hidden gem. Don't tell anyone," she told NCC News last year. Her style blends torn paper, color, and texture into pieces that reward a second look, and she's part of the wave of artists helping Syracuse crack the national Top 40 in arts vibrancy. Find her work on Instagram and reach out if you are looking to make a purchase. Rachel if you are reading this, I may be in the market when I find the time to re-do my office.

This week's pair comes from Helping Hounds Dog Rescue in North Syracuse, two dogs waiting on the humans who were supposed to find them.

Milz, a male Australian Shepherd mix, is 2 years old, weighs 60 pounds, and has been at the rescue for about a week. He was surrendered for nipping at horses, basically just trying to herd them. He's got the energy to match, think running buddy or hiking partner, not couch ornament. He's a confirmed water dog who loves squeaky toys, has done well with teenage kids, and is still learning manners around other dogs, doing best in smaller, calmer play sessions. He's never lived with a cat, and given his herding instincts, a home without small animals is probably the safer bet.

Roger, a male Heeler mix, is also 2 years old, weighs about 50 pounds, and has been at the rescue for about a week. He's mostly calm, affectionate, and a certified snuggler who's happiest on short walks or parked in a kiddie pool. He's loving with adults, has done well with a teenager, gets along with other dogs, and is even fine with indoor cats. He rides well in the car, is crate trained, and is most of the way to fully house trained.

2726 Gardner Rd, Fabius, NY - $748,500

Ten acres, two parcels, and a pole barn big enough for horses or a workshop. Nearly 3,000 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths plus a half bath, with a first-floor bedroom and office, a private second-floor bedroom wing for guests, and a finished lower level. The great room anchors the house with a wood-burning fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and a wall of windows looking out over the countryside, and a wraparound deck makes the most of it.

One of the two parcels has potential for a future building lot if you ever want to subdivide. Built in 2004, in the Fabius-Pompey School District, about 20 minutes from downtown Syracuse.

Wegmans' John Glenn store in Liverpool is hiring a part-time Pharmacy Technician to help fill prescriptions, work insurance claims, and keep the pharmacy running smoothly. Morning and afternoon shifts, including weekends, with some starting as early as 8 AM. Basic math skills for dosage calculations and comfort with data entry are the main requirements. Must be 18 or older. Pay: $19 - $19.50/hour.

Hidden Level, the Syracuse-based drone detection and airspace security company, needs an IT Helpdesk Technician to be the first point of contact for internal tech support across Mac, Windows, and Ubuntu systems. Day-to-day means ticket triage, Microsoft 365 troubleshooting, hardware and networking issues, and occasional after-hours support. On-site in Syracuse, with travel between company facilities.

With more than $124 billion in semiconductor investment flowing into New York since 2022, Empire State Development is hiring a VP to build a Syracuse-based center connecting small and mid-sized businesses, especially historically underserved ones, to construction and supply chain contracts tied to projects like Micron's $100 billion CNY build-out. The job means building the center from scratch: staffing, service delivery, partnerships with prime contractors, and a CRM to track which local firms actually convert from interested to under contract. Requires a bachelor's degree plus 7+ years in economic development, supply chain, or a related field, ideally with exposure to advanced manufacturing or construction.

That's a wrap for this week, Syracuse. See you next Monday!