$2 billion more for I-81, and there's legal infighting on the project

Good morning, Syracuse

The big holiday is over and we hope you all stayed safe out there celebrating. Everyone is getting back into the swing of things at work after a few too many hotdogs, school is out, and the humidity is doing its thing. We are all just kind of vibing through the middle of summer. The I-81 rebuild picked up another $2 billion in costs, and depending on who you ask, that money is either an infrastructure investment or a cash grab by the firms building it. A water main break on I-690 opened up a sinkhole big enough to eat a car. Micron is putting $250 million into savings accounts for CNY kids, and Bechtel opened 88 jobs on the Micron build. Apizza Alimentari is finally opening in Fayetteville. And Weird Al is playing Lakeview on Friday. Casual week, let's get into it.

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The I-81 rebuild just got more expensive. Again.

New York's biggest transportation project just picked up another zero. The state DOT announced Friday that Phase 2 of the I-81 viaduct rebuild, the actual demolition of the 1.4-mile elevated highway through downtown will run more than $2 billion on its own, with a joint venture called CNY Alliance taking the contract. That is on top of the $2.25 billion originally announced for the full project. Phase 2 also includes reconstruction of I-690 from Leavenworth to North Crouse, ramp replacements at both I-81/I-690 interchanges, and rehab work on 25 city streets.

One I-81 lawyer says the whole thing is a "cash grab"

Syracuse.com dug into the legal infighting between the firms working on the I-81 project, and it is not pretty. One lawyer went on record calling the arrangement a "cash grab." The dispute centers on contract terms and how billions of dollars in state and federal money are being carved up among a small group of consultants and subcontractors. Public records requests are starting to surface uncomfortable details about who is billing what, and multiple firms have quietly retained outside counsel. Nothing has been formally challenged in court yet, but if you have been wondering why the price tag keeps climbing, this is the piece to read.

Syracuse police kept Flock cameras up almost a month past the deadline

Central Current reports that Syracuse Police kept Flock Safety automated license plate readers active for nearly a month after the cameras were supposed to be taken down. The department has not offered much of an explanation. Flock cameras record every plate that passes them, tag the vehicle by color and make, and store the data for local law enforcement to query later. Civil liberties groups have been pushing back on the technology's use in Syracuse for months, and the "take them down" timeline was supposed to be part of that response. Instead, the readers stayed live and kept collecting data, which raises the obvious question of what happened to the data during that window.

Micron will drop $250 million into "Trump Accounts"

Micron said it will put $250 million into the federal Trump Accounts program, a new savings vehicle that opens an investment account for every American child born after a certain date. The company is framing the move as a long-term investment in the future workforce of the Clay fab, which will not be fully staffed for years. Micron has been under pressure to make its CNY presence feel less transactional and more community-oriented, and $250 million is a real number toward that goal. For local families with new babies, the pledge translates into a modest but meaningful head start on college savings, a first-home fund, or whatever the account is eventually used for.

Bechtel is hiring 88 people for the Micron build

Bechtel, the firm actually building Micron's Clay facility, has 88 open roles on the CNY project as of this week. The postings cover construction managers, superintendents, safety leads, planners, quality control specialists, and a wide range of technical and support roles. These are the jobs people have been asking about. These are the ones that come before Micron itself even starts hiring, and the ones that put boots on the ground during the actual build. Pay ranges vary widely by role, but many of the technical positions include relocation packages and per diem for out-of-state hires commuting in during the buildout.

Apizza Alimentari finally opens in Fayetteville next week

After nearly two years of construction, permitting, and general Syracuse-restaurant-timeline stuff, Apizza Alimentari is finally opening its doors in Fayetteville next week. The concept is New Haven-style pizza (thin, charred, coal-oven adjacent, from the city that arguably invented modern American pizza) paired with a full Italian market attached to the pizzeria. The market side will carry cured meats, cheeses, fresh pasta, sauces, and prepared food to go, which fills a legit gap in the eastern suburbs. The owners have kept things intentionally under wraps during the buildout, so most of what locals know about the menu has come through the occasional Instagram tease. Expect a soft-open situation early in the week (Wednesday July 8th) and lines by the weekend.

A pro soccer stadium in Syracuse? There are new details.

Athletic Business published new details this week on a possible pro soccer stadium in Syracuse. Nothing is signed yet, but the piece lays out site plans, a financing structure, and a level of league interest that most locals did not realize was already active. The proposal appears tied to a broader push to bring a USL Championship or similar tier franchise to CNY, and the venue would sit alongside the aquarium, the reworked Inner Harbor, and the eventual community grid as another piece of the new downtown footprint. If it moves forward, the timeline would run parallel to the last few years of I-81 construction.

A water main break on I-690 ate a car this week

A water main break near the Geddes Street exit on I-690 opened up a sinkhole big enough to partially swallow a passenger car. No injuries were reported, but the car did not survive. The break is the latest in a string of Syracuse water main failures that keep reminding everyone how old the city's underground infrastructure actually is. A chunk of the I-81 Phase 2 scope is explicitly about replacing aging water and drainage lines underneath downtown, which suggests the state has been aware of this problem for a while.

ASA is putting up a new Syracuse facility

Manufacturer ASA announced plans for a new facility in the Syracuse area, according to a write-up in BIC Magazine. Details on total headcount and construction timeline are still coming, and the company has not yet said which municipality the site will land in. It is another data point in the run of industrial announcements CNY has been fielding since Micron committed to the Clay fab. Supplier ecosystems around a chip plant tend to attract exactly this kind of build - specialized manufacturing that needs to be geographically close to the fab. If the trend holds, expect more of these small-to-midsize industrial announcements to keep landing quietly on the outskirts of the metro over the next 12 months.

Nick Toscano has been tattooing for over 12 years, specializing in Neotraditional. He grew up in Baldwinsville, holds an associate's in graphic design and a bachelor's in psychology. Nick’s work is heavily influenced by the art nouveau movement, particularly the works of Alphonse Mucha.

Two years ago Nick opened up Goldfinch Tattoo with Adam Golden. I have personally gotten work done by Nick and I cannot say enough good things. He is a gem of a human and produces amazing work that holds up. Head over to the Goldfinch Tattoo site and book a consultation if you are looking for your next piece.

7701 Mocha Bear Path, Baldwinsville, NY 13027 - $950,000

Custom-built seven years ago on more than 2 acres, with farm fields backing right up to the yard. You get the country feel without actually being in the country. It's still in a neighborhood, just one where the back property line is corn. First-floor primary suite, three more bedrooms upstairs each with their own full bath, a flex room or office with its own private entrance (nice for the WFH setup), and a hangout lounge on the second floor. The finished basement adds another ~1,300 square feet, has full-size egress windows for real natural light, and includes a bonus room that could pass as a fifth bedroom or a home gym. Out back there's a 30x60 heated pole barn with electric, big enough for the toys, the workshop, or whichever hobby is currently taking over the garage. Plus two more sheds if the pole barn somehow isn't enough.

Based in Syracuse, this is the person who is going to build the pipeline that connects local, small, and historically underserved CNY businesses into Micron's $100 billion semiconductor supply chain. You would be designing a first-of-its-kind supplier readiness center from the ground up, working directly with prime contractors and small firms to move companies from "interested" to "bid-ready." 7+ years of economic development or supply chain experience required.

Micron is standing up an Emergency Response Team for the Clay site and needs someone to lead it. Medical, fire, hazmat, rescue - all of it. You would build the ERT from scratch, run drills, partner with local fire and EMS, and integrate emergency response into the site's construction and operations phases. Salary range $100,000 to $174,000, plus benefits, bonuses, and equity.

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.

Hank, a 1-year-old Shepherd mix, weighs about 61 pounds and has been at the shelter for 17 weeks now. He is goofy, active, and always up for a trail hike, a swim, or an actual game of fetch. Smart, too. He already knows sit, down, and shake, and he has been putting in work with the trainers' weekly group classes on leash skills. Selective with other dogs, good with kids over 5. If you have a lifestyle that keeps you moving and you want a training partner who is invested, Hank is a solid choice.

Gomer, a 1-year-old Border Collie mix, weighs about 34 pounds and lost his home through no fault of his own. He is an active kid who needs a person willing to keep up with him. Loves car rides. Loves treats. Loves toys. He gets along with dogs that can match his energy level. Selective with dogs, unknown with cats and kids. He is house trained and neutered and ready for a home that will take him on adventures.