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Onondaga County to unveil plans for amphitheater in Solvay

Ellen Abbott
/
WRVO News File Photo
Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney says the public will be surprised by how far the project has come so far.

Just about six months ago, Gov. Andrew Cuomo came to central New York to announce that the state would chip in $30 million for a multi-million dollar plan to revitalize the western lakeshore of Onondaga Lake, including the village of Solvay. Today, Onondaga County is ready to share with the public detailed plans about what this development entails.

Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney says the $100 million project, meant to revitalize the west side of the lake, has been moving on a fast track and that’ll be apparent at a 5:30 p.m. meeting Wednesday evening at Solvay High School.

"We hear announcements all the time, and it seems to take forever and while everyone has been enduring this long winter, we’ve been hard at work," Mahoney said. "And when people come out, and I hope people do, and ask questions, you're going to be surprised at how far along we are.”

Mahoney says officials will outline the different options for changing the streetscape in the village of Solvay, and other infrastructure issues. But that’s not all.

“The icing on the cake is really the amphitheater," Mahoney explained. "And we’re going to unveil a video where you’ll have a virtual tour of the amphitheater. And I think people are going to be blown away.”

But there will also be information of the parts of the plan that will makeover the village of Solvay.  

"We have a couple of different concepts for Bridge Street," Mahoney said. "One is for a very wide promenade on one side of the street and no shoulder on the other side. The other is for something more narrow on both sides to accommodate bikes and walkers.  And we want to hear from people, what’s important to you.”

All in all, Mahoney believes residents will be blown away by the progress of the plan. And to any naysayers out there concerned about the scope of a project planted on former waste beds, along a lake that was once the most polluted in the country, Mahoney’s willing to listen… to a point.

"If there’s valid criticism that we can take and fold into the plan, we’re all ears," Mahoney said. "But if it’s just that same old, same old negativity, then we want to use that as motivation to surprise people as to what the possibilities are.”

She also says the public meeting won’t be the only way citizens can comment.

"There’s also going to be a way for people to weigh in online," Mahoney said. "We’re going to unveil a new website, so people will be able to put their comments in online. There’s going to be a way for people to leave written comments at the meeting. All of that is going to be taken into consideration.”

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.