Syracuse is on a roll. Redevelopment and historic restoration projects are breathing new life into a downtown that was long moribund. The population of the Upstate New York city grew in the last census for the first time in 70 years. Bond ratings are up. And just outside city limits, a $100 billion semiconductor “mega-fab,” or construction plant, is set to rise, promising tens of thousands of jobs.
Mayor Ben Walsh doesn’t claim credit for all these changes. But since taking office in 2018, he’s noticeably improved city services and taken a collaborative approach with state, regional and business leaders, helping to position Syracuse to seize its moment when it finally came. “We’ve worked really hard to get ourselves to this point,” he says.
He’s quick to say his role in securing Micron’s transformative microchip investment “was limited,” but adds, “I like to think we assisted in closing the deal.” Executives stayed at a restored hotel that symbolizes Syracuse’s renaissance, visited a new international food hall, and left confident in the region’s ability to attract, train and retain the skilled workforce Micron will need…