NEW HARTFORD — A renovation project is planned at the 14-screen, Marquee Cinemas theatre in New Hartford. 

Construction was scheduled to begin Jan. 2, with a completion date in May, per a news release that the New Hartford Chamber of Commerce forwarded to CNYBJ. The theatre will remain open during the remodel. 

Beckley, West Virginia–based Marquee Cinemas Inc. and PAG Investments announced the renovation project in that release. PAG Investments is a privately held, real-estate investment firm headquartered in New York City. 

CNYBJ contacted Marquee Cinemas for details on the contractor and architect involved in the project, along with the project cost, but the company didn’t respond to the inquiry before press time.

The work is scheduled in two phases. The first part will target studios 1 through 6, along with converting auditoriums 7 & 8 to what the company calls “Marquee Extreme Cinemas (MXC)” auditoriums, per the release.

Marquee expects to complete the first phase in mid-March, with all studios equipped with new “luxury” seating, carpeting, and lighting. 

The second phase, which Marquee expects to finish in mid-May, will include the completion of auditoriums 9 through 14, along with work in the lobby and common areas. 

It’ll also include digital displays, new wall coverings, and carpet, along with interior and exterior paint work.

Additionally, the theatre will be adding reserved seating, allowing moviegoers to pick their “exact seat.” Patrons may purchase and choose their favorite seat prior to the movie, either online, at the box office or at Marquee’s ticketing kiosk, the company said. 

“The new upgrades will offer patrons a premium experience not currently offered in the market. We want the newly-renovated Marquee Cinemas to be a welcome retreat for guests to relax and feel right at home as they enjoy a movie,” Robin Shumate, director of marketing for Marquee Cinemas, said in the release. “Our goal is to provide our customers with the best in entertainment. For nearly 15 years, it has been and will continue to be our pleasure to serve New Hartford and Oneida County.”

Formed in 1979, Marquee Cinemas, Inc. currently operates 17 locations with 175 screens in nine states.

Today’s Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse has experienced more than a century of iterations. Its home, Burnet Park, was born from a merger between the Town of Geddes and the City of Syracuse in 1886. 

The Town of Geddes wished to become part of Syracuse in order to benefit from a paid police force, fire protection, and the soon-to-be installed water line from Skaneateles Lake. John Burnet, a major landowner in Geddes, offered to sweeten the merger by giving the City nearly 125 acres of his hilltop farm land for a park. The Burnet family stipulated the land always be used as a park and that it should be named Burnet Park. They also requested that $10,000 be set aside annually to be used to purchase trees and maintain roads and lawns. An additional $3,000 per year was to be used for general upkeep and improvements. Finally, the entranceways to the park off Milton Avenue and S. Wilbur Avenue were to be paved. Initially the park was used for bandstand concerts, walks, and picnics — followed by the construction of a golf course in 1901. 

Area citizens had lobbied for a zoo for many years before one was actually constructed. As early as 1898, a local alderman announced that a gentleman had offered to build and stock a zoological department in a south end park if the city would take steps to fix up the land properly. It was determined that all necessary funds could be generated with help from the public; however, this plan never advanced. But in 1914, the city put aside four acres for use as a zoo in Burnet Park when a group of citizens headed by W. W. Wiard of the Syracuse Chilled Plow Co. bought the remnants of a traveling circus company. Two years later, a stone-based exhibit space was designed for the bears and a pond dug for the waterfowl. The animals kept at the zoo were varied with many procured through generous donations by prominent local citizens. In 1933, the zoo doubled in size with the animals residing in small barred cages as was common during that era. The animals were there strictly for the public’s viewing purposes. No attention was given to providing an environment or setting that would reflect the animal’s normal living conditions. In 1955 after receiving an extremely poor review from the local newspaper, efforts were made to improve the animals’ living conditions and update the grounds. A Children’s Wonderland, funded through the Gifford Foundation, was designed featuring miniature structures housing a variety of farm animals with which children could interact. At the same time, additional funds were set aside by the city to renovate the bear den and construct Monkey Island.

Unfortunately, these improvements were short-lived, and by the early 1960s, the zoo was again criticized for its appearance. Various mayors had discussed undergoing a massive update, but funding could not be secured. The Children’s Wonderland required cleanup and repair. Again, improvements were made but continued funding was becoming difficult to obtain. Vandalism was prevalent, including the releasing of animals from their cages, killing of animals, and theft and destruction of zoo property. A local businessman formed an organization to investigate the option of purchasing property north of the city and establishing a new state of the art zoo. City of Syracuse and Onondaga County officials were divided in their opinions, but it was generally felt that the zoo should remain in Burnet Park. 

The Friends of the Zoo was formed in 1970 and they secured funding to enlarge the zoo to 18 acres, build a fence to enclose the space, include a boardwalk that traversed through a portion of the property, and establish a Western Plains habitat. Various directors had come and gone, adding to the difficulties. In April 1975, the zoo adopted a nonprofit status and it was suggested that a minimal admission be charged for at least a portion of the year. Plans were once again made to expand and modernize the facility. The Friends of the Zoo developed a membership drive to facilitate this goal. John Mulroy, Onondaga County Executive, initially vetoed using county funds to supplement city funding, but eventually came to an agreement with the Onondaga County Legislature to set aside money to finance renovations. In 1977 the county officially took over the responsibility of running the zoo from the city. By 1980, improvements were once again made by expanding the Plains exhibit and beginning development of a North East Woods exhibit. However, the animals continued to reside in bare, dingy cages of inadequate size. These conditions inhibited reproduction efforts — forcing the zoo to purchase additional animals. Visitors also complained about the odor and general cleanliness of the exhibit areas. 

In 1982, a $7.5 million renovation was begun. The community was asked to provide $1 million in funding with an additional $2.5 million received from private funders. The Rosamond Gifford Foundation continued as a generous funder for the modernization of the facilities as Ms. Gifford had been known for her love of animals. The renovation took over three years. During this time, most of the animals were either sold or loaned to other zoos. The waterfowl population was moved to Beaver Lake Nature Center in Lysander while seven elk, seven bison, three wolves, a yak and a llama remained in residence because they were either unable to be sold, too old to move, or of good breeding stock. All the original buildings were torn down with the exception of the main building which was incorporated into the new design. The zoo reopened to great fanfare in August 1986. The final cost of renovation was $12.8 million and it involved more than seven years of planning and preparation. It was a state-of-the-art facility considered to be a “new breed of zoo” and was only one of a handful of zoos designed with several exhibit areas detailing the evolutionary life stories of the zoo’s inhabitants. The new facility also included classroom and research space. National accreditation soon followed.

In 1998, a capital campaign was begun to pay for the construction of a new conservation education center and tiger and rainforest exhibits. The Rosamond Gifford Foundation offered an endowment gift of $2 million in 1999. This resulted in the changing of the name to Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park. The zoo today continues to flourish and is now proud to say that it is continually ranked in the top 10 percent of zoos in the country.           

Karen Y. Cooney is support services administrator at OHA in Syracuse.

DeWITT — Byrne Dairy Inc. plans to create nearly 250 jobs in Onondaga County as part of the firm’s $125 million plan to expand its facilities.

The company held a Dec. 20 ceremony to break ground on a $24 million expansion at its Ultra Dairy plant in DeWitt, representing the first phase of its expansion plan.

The three phases — supported by $15 million in state funding — include several additional projects at its other production and warehouse facilities.

The initial phase will create 30 new jobs and includes a 42,000-square-foot expansion, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. 

In addition to the 30 new jobs, the Ultra Dairy expansion will help retain almost 200 jobs at the facility. 

“We’re excited to begin this next chapter of Ultra Dairy’s growth,” Carl Byrne, president and CEO of Byrne Dairy Inc., said in the release. “Our ability to expand to meet the growing demands of our customers is critical to the success of not only Byrne Dairy, but also family farms throughout Central New York.”

The expansion will allow the plant to increase its packaging capability, along with additional processing capacity and storage space. 

Additional projects include a further expansion of the DeWitt facility, expansion of the company’s yogurt and cultured-product facility in Cortlandville, and an extension of its warehouse capabilities in Syracuse and DeWitt which will result in the creation of 248 new jobs.

New York State is providing a $7.5 million grant for the projects through the “CNY Rising” Upstate Revitalization Initiative funding. In addition, the state is offering another $7.5 million through the Excelsior tax-credit program in exchange for the job-creation commitments. 

The company’s Ultra Dairy plant, located at 6750 W. Benedict Road in DeWitt, first opened in 2004. The facility uses an ultra-high-temperature pasteurization process to extend shelf life of up to 150 days. 

Ultra Dairy processes conventional and organic milks, creams, and other dairy products as well as a variety of non-dairy products. The expansion will allow Byrne Dairy to “substantially increase” output by adding processing capacity and increasing efficiencies in downstream equipment. 

SYRACUSE — The City of Syracuse is providing city employees working in non-represented positions with 12 weeks of paid leave, which they can use for a new birth, adoption, or foster placement. 

The new policy, which took effect Dec. 1, is the “first step in attempting to improve parental-leave benefits for city workers,” the office of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said in a Nov. 28 news release.

The City of Syracuse has 160 non-represented employees in managerial or administrative roles who could be eligible for this benefit, it said in an email response to a CNYBJ inquiry. 

The new policy stipulates that employees must use the 12 weeks within one year of the new birth, adoption, or foster placement. 

Staff has the option to take all 12 weeks at once, to use the 12 weeks in increments of at least one week at a time, or to create a part-time schedule, at the discretion of their department head. 

“More and more businesses and governments are addressing paid parental leave, and the city must compete for talent in the open market. Paid parental leave helps staff manage a healthy work-life balance and provides organizations with an additional, attractive tool for retention,” Walsh said in the release. “The policy will keep parents from having to choose between giving up some or all of their vacation time or paycheck to spend time with their family.”

Syracuse did not previously have a paid parental leave policy. Instead, parents could take up to 12 weeks under the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). 

Parents were required to use any accrued vacation, personal, and sick time and then take unpaid leave. Most employees did not have sufficient accrued time, and were therefore faced with taking time off without pay to care for their new child.                    

“Because we have more flexible work rules with non-represented workers which allow for an individual’s responsibilities to be reassigned to colleagues for a short period, we can start the benefit with this group of employees without having to increase costs,” said Walsh. “We welcome discussions with organized labor about similar policies for union employees in the future.”