SYRACUSE — John T. McCann, a partner in the Syracuse–based law firm of Hancock Estabrook, LLP, has been sworn in as the new president of the Onondaga County Bar Association (OCBA) board of directors. 

He was sworn into office at the OCBA’s Law Day Breakfast on May 1, according to a recent Hancock Estabrook news release.

The OCBA has more than 1,500 members and represents practicing attorneys, honorary members, law-student members, and other special members at the discretion of its board.

James P. Murphy was the previous OCBA board president and James M. Williams held the position before that, according to the bar association’s website.

McCann is a member of Hancock Estabrook’s labor & employment practice. He has represented management for more than 32 years on issues such as employment litigation, collective bargaining, labor arbitrations, preparation of employment contracts, formulation of employment policies and practices, investigations, labor audits, supervisory training, and compliance with employment laws and regulations.

OWEGO — Creative Joy, an Owego craft store, formally opened on May 14 with a ribbon-cutting event with the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the shop’s new location. 

Creative Joy, situated at 173 Front St., says it has offered “high-end” crafting experiences since 2015, including supplies, gifts, and classes such as beading, soap-making, candle making, and more. The business says it is “dedicated to nurturing your creative side.”

Creative Joy (www.mycreativejoy.com) is open Tuesday through Saturday.

SYRACUSE — Onondaga County’s development agency has voted to keep COR Inner Harbor Company LLC as the agency for developing Syracuse’s Inner Harbor.

The Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA) voted Monday morning to extend COR’s agent agreement to Dec. 1, 2021.

The original agreement was signed in 2015. It expired at the end of 2017, according to Tony Rivizzigno, OCIDA’s attorney. 

Formerly an industrialized area, the Inner Harbor, at the southern end of Onondaga Lake, has been undergoing a transformation with the building of hotels and apartments.

In 2016, COR built a 134-room Aloft Hotel, the first new building put up as part of a $350 million plan for the Inner Harbor.

Construction is currently underway at Iron Pier, a luxury apartment complex on West Kirkpatrick Street. The project includes 108 apartments on three floors and more than 40,000 square feet of retail space.

“This community is located near downtown Syracuse and offers easy access to shopping, entertainment, and transportation,” according to the development’s website. “Each one of our nine unique layouts are designed with convenient features for comfortable waterfront living. Choose from one bedroom, one bedroom with a den, and two bedroom apartments ranging from 546 to 1,365 square feet!”

OCIDA Chairman Patrick Hogan says court cases involving leaders of COR, including a corruption trial earlier this year that resulted in the conviction of COR executive Steve Aiello on conspiracy charges and a second corruption trial expected to begin within a month, had no effect on the extension vote.

“No,” Hogan says, “we vote on the project.”

Aiello’s attorney, Stephen R. Coffey, has said he will seek to have the conspiracy conviction overturned.

When Stephanie Miner was mayor of Syracuse, the city tried many times to block COR’s payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with OCIDA, claiming it would cost the city millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. The lawsuits were repeatedly dismissed.