Syracuse airport’s $28 million expansion made many upgrades

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It’s a construction project that sought to enhance the passenger experience at Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR). The effort included a component that was meant to keep “International” in the airport’s name. The $28.4 million expansion and modernization project was awarded $20 million from the New York governor’s $230 million Upstate Airport […]

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It’s a construction project that sought to enhance the passenger experience at Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR).

The effort included a component that was meant to keep “International” in the airport’s name.

The $28.4 million expansion and modernization project was awarded $20 million from the New York governor’s $230 million Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization competition, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul announced July 28.

Besides the airport work, the New York State Department of Transportation has completed a $10.5 million rehabilitation of the Airport Boulevard (Colonel Eileen Collins Boulevard) bridges over Interstate 81, easing travel to and from the airport.

Launched in the spring of 2023, the work included installations of new concrete bridge decks, replacement of deteriorated steel beams, and the repair of concrete piers and pedestals to enhance safety.

Hochul and Marie Therese Dominguez, commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), joined Jason Terreri, executive director of the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, for the July 28 announcement and ribbon cutting.

The expansion of the federal inspection station facility at Syracuse Hancock International Airport was part of an estimated $28.4 million expansion project that is now complete.
PHOTO CREDIT: NYSDOT

The project includes an expanded north concourse with additional seating, concession areas, and improved passenger flow, the governor’s office said. The project also renovated the second floor of the terminal building in the location of gate 15 to expand the federal inspection station facility, ensuring the airport retains its international designation.

The project installed the latest FIS equipment for international operations that will allow for the processing of 200 passengers per hour, replacement of a jet bridge, installation of a new elevator tower and baggage carousel, and the creation of an additional hold room and boarding space, Hochul’s office said. The project also installed a new wayfinding lighting-control system and support for hearing-impaired passengers.

The new improvement project — which had a total estimated cost of $28.4 million — added more than 4,000 square feet to the north concourse. It serves about 40 percent of the passengers traveling through the facility each year, with the expansion providing room for improved passenger flow, additional seating areas, and concession space.

“This state-funded Terminal Expansion Project aligns with our team’s vision of creating and maintaining a best-in-class airport experience at Syracuse Hancock International Airport — the gateway to Central New York and beyond!” Terreri said in the state’s announcement.

The SYR project builds on the terminal-renovation project that crews completed in 2018, Hochul’s office noted.

With continued support from New York State, activity at the airport has continued to grow, per the state’s announcement. The airport handled more than 3 million passengers in 2024, an increase of 5.2 percent from the prior year. Enplanements have surged from 840,994 in 2021 to nearly 1.5 million in 2024. The latest data from a NYSDOT study estimated that the airport’s annual economic impact exceeds $864.5 million.

City of Binghamton seeks Clinton Street DRI proposals by Aug. 15

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Project proposals for the City of Binghamton’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) state grant award are due by Friday, Aug. 15 at 5 p.m. Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham recently announced the launch of the funding-application process for the Clinton Street DRI. He invited Binghamton businesses, property owners, nonprofit leaders, and community

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Project proposals for the City of Binghamton’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) state grant award are due by Friday, Aug. 15 at 5 p.m.

Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham recently announced the launch of the funding-application process for the Clinton Street DRI. He invited Binghamton businesses, property owners, nonprofit leaders, and community groups to submit project proposals.

“The Clinton Street corridor is a vital gateway into the City and a key piece of Binghamton’s future,” Kraham said in the July 1 announcement. “With this DRI funding, we have an opportunity to spark new investment, support small businesses and build on the momentum already underway in the neighborhood. We’re calling on the community to bring forward proposals for projects that will help shape the next chapter for Clinton Street.”

It was back in February that the City of Binghamton was named the Southern Tier winner of New York State’s DRI, securing a $10 million grant award to revitalize Clinton Street.

In the June 2 Revitalize Greater Binghamton feature publication of CNYBJ, Mayor Kraham penned a guest article, titled “The Time is Now for Binghamton’s Clinton Street,” which espoused the importance of this initiative to revitalize the corridor.

The City of Binghamton’s local planning committee (LPC) recently issued a call for project proposals from the public for potential projects to be included in the Clinton Street DRI strategic investment plan.

The plan will provide a roadmap for the state’s $10 million investment, identifying projects to spur revitalization in the Clinton Street area, the City of Binghamton said.

Individuals interested in submitting proposals for funding through the DRI should have projects that have a “clear public benefit and align with the community’s vision” for a revitalized Clinton Street. Applicants must “demonstrate commitment of private funding sources and discuss the project’s transformative nature and potential community benefits.”

New ideas are encouraged, along with established project concepts, the City of Binghamton noted.

Interested applicants should visit www.clintonstreetdri.org/open-call to access the application forms, review the Clinton Street DRI boundary, and see additional guidance.

Barb’s Bistro to open at Le Moyne’s renovated McNeil Firehouse

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Salt City Coffee will operate Barb’s Bistro inside Le Moyne College’s McNeil Firehouse at 1150 Salt Spring Road in Syracuse later this summer. Following renovation work, the McNeil Firehouse is expected to open in mid-September, Le Moyne tells CNYBJ. Salt City Coffee is the anchor tenant of the Salt City Market on

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Salt City Coffee will operate Barb’s Bistro inside Le Moyne College’s McNeil Firehouse at 1150 Salt Spring Road in Syracuse later this summer.

Following renovation work, the McNeil Firehouse is expected to open in mid-September, Le Moyne tells CNYBJ.

Salt City Coffee is the anchor tenant of the Salt City Market on South Salina Street in Syracuse and has four other locations in the region.

Le Moyne is currently renovating the firehouse building using $250,000 in state-government funding secured by New York State Senator Rachel May (D–Syracuse) and a private donation from Dan McNeil III, a 1977 Le Moyne College graduate.

The lead contractor for the project is Diamond & Thiel Construction Company, Inc. of DeWitt, Le Moyne informs CNYBJ.

Officially called “Barb’s Bistro – Where Everybody Belongs,” the space will pay tribute to Barb Karper, who the college says has made a “tremendous impact at Le Moyne in a variety of roles over the past 50 years.” Karper is also a close friend of Dan McNeil.

In selecting Salt City Coffee, Le Moyne says it sought a company that would sell coffee, beverages, and food in Barb’s Bistro, “while creating a sense of community as well.” Founded by Aaron and Maria Metthe in 2017, Salt City Coffee’s motto is “inspiring curiosity, creativity and community.”

Le Moyne and Salt City Coffee will partner to provide programming for the community including music, art displays, and neighborhood events.

Plans for the McNeil Firehouse were developed by a steering committee of faculty, administrators, and students that reviewed a variety of possible uses for the building.

The first floor of the McNeil Firehouse will include Barb’s Bistro and indoor and outdoor space for public events and programming, while Le Moyne will locate its clinical mental-health counseling graduate program on the second floor, along with a multipurpose room.

The McNeil Firehouse will be an “integrated community-oriented hub” for mental health, wellness, and the arts that will be open to members of the college community and the general public, Le Moyne said.

SUNY Oswego credits campus club as it launches real-estate minor

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OSWEGO, N.Y. — SUNY Oswego is one of the first SUNY campuses to add a real-estate minor to its academic offerings. “Many students have an interest in real estate from across the campus. After I started the Real Estate Club, interest grew,” Graig Arcuri, a member of the finance program in the SUNY Oswego School

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Crews demolish fire-damaged convent at former Maria Regina College in Syracuse

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Crews have demolished the fire-ravaged Motherhouse on the campus of the former Maria Regina College on the City’s North side. The City of Syracuse had announced the demolition effort on the former convent building on July 8. The Kimberly on Grant Boulevard — which owns the property at 1024 Court St. in

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Work starts on Upstate Pathology Institute, which expects to add jobs

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DeWITT, N.Y. — Work is underway on a new, 109,000-square-foot clinical pathology laboratory facility, known as the Upstate Pathology Institute, that will eventually add to Upstate Medical University’s job count. It’s located at 6624 Fly Road in the town of DeWitt, adjacent to Upstate Bone and Joint, home of Upstate Orthopedics. Upstate Medical University held

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It’s located at 6624 Fly Road in the town of DeWitt, adjacent to Upstate Bone and Joint, home of Upstate Orthopedics. Upstate Medical University held a July 7 groundbreaking ceremony to formally kick off the construction project.

Rochester–based LeChase Construction Services, LLC, which has an office in Syracuse, is serving as construction manager. The lead architect is Glastonbury, Connecticut–based SLAM, with help from Dwyer Architectural of Syracuse; Rochester–based ME Engineering, PC, which has an office in Syracuse; and Colliers.

The project will consolidate and modernize Upstate’s pathology department, “positioning it for future growth, improved efficiency, and expanded regional service that will be facilitated by drone operations,” per the Upstate announcement.

The upcoming Institute will centralize Upstate’s “sprawling” pathology service into one location when the building opens in spring 2027. The new facility will not offer patient-care services. Medical couriers and drones will deliver specimens, which will be analyzed on-site, with results sent directly to health-care providers.

Consolidating, adding jobs

Upstate’s pathology services currently operate across 55,000 square feet in five separate floors in three different buildings on Upstate’s downtown Syracuse campus. The department processed more than 3.2 million specimens in fiscal year 2024, the medical school and health system noted.

The Upstate Pathology Institute will accommodate 178 of the pathology department’s current 228 employees, while 50 staff members will remain at the downtown campus to support hospital-based lab needs. Additionally, the Fly Road location will have “substantial” job growth, beginning with the addition of 25 new jobs in its first year of operation. Employment projections estimate another 10 new jobs will be added in each of the following two years, resulting in a total of 45 new positions and bringing the Fly Road lab’s workforce to 223 by year three.

Representatives of Upstate Pathology Lab Ownership, LLC; the building’s owners Dr. A. John Merola and John Murphy; and various community leaders joined Upstate officials for the groundbreaking event.

The new facility “moves Upstate Pathology well into the future,” Dr. Mantosh Dewan, president of Upstate Medical University, said in the announcement.

“This new Institute will transform the practice of pathology and help us meet the increasing demand for our services with greater efficiency and set a standard for laboratory science,” Dewan said.

About the upcoming building

The new three-story building will bring together services that include the core laboratory, microbiology lab, histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), cytology, electron microscopy, bone marrow, hematopathology, cytogenetics, flow cytometry, molecular lab, bioinformatics & digital pathology, Upstate said.

The structure will also include teaching, conference, and employee-support spaces, as well as areas for drone and courier-specimen transport.

The facility will have a “drone bay” for recharging and maintenance of the transport drones. Upstate recently executed a first of its kind drone operation in preparing for the new facility. The operation was authorized under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver granted to Upstate in May 2025 that permits drone operations beyond visual line of sight, over people, and over moving vehicles, setting a new standard for the safe and scalable integration of drones into the national airspace.

Upstate Pathology Lab Ownership, LLC — a team with more than 50 years of experience in medical facility development — will oversee construction and ownership of the facility. The firm’s holdings also include North Medical Center in the town of Clay and Northeast Medical Center in the town of Manlius.

CNY regions report lower jobless rates in June 2025

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The unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, Ithaca, and Elmira regions were all lower in June 2025 compared to a year ago. That’s according to the latest New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) data released on July 22. Regional unemployment rates The jobless rate in the Syracuse area fell to 3.2

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The unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, Ithaca, and Elmira regions were all lower in June 2025 compared to a year ago.

That’s according to the latest New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) data released on July 22.

Regional unemployment rates

The jobless rate in the Syracuse area fell to 3.2 percent in June 2025 from 3.6 percent in June 2024.

Around the region, the Utica–Rome region’s rate dipped to 3.4 percent from 3.6 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum area’s number fell to 3.4 percent from 3.7 percent; the Binghamton region’s jobless rate slipped to 3.6 percent from 3.8 percent; the Ithaca area’s unemployment number declined to 3.2 percent from 3.8 percent; and the Elmira region’s jobless rate improved to 3.3 percent this June from 3.7 percent in the same month a year earlier.

The local-unemployment data isn’t seasonally adjusted, meaning the figures don’t reflect seasonal influences such as holiday hires. The unemployment rates are calculated following procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state Labor Department said.

State unemployment rate

New York state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 4.0 percent this June, compared to May, according to preliminary figures that NYSDOL released.

At the same time, New York State’s labor force (seasonally adjusted) decreased by 900. The statewide labor-force participation rate dipped from 61.0 percent in May of this year to 60.9 percent in June 2025.

New York’s 4.0 percent unemployment rate was lower than the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.1 percent in June.

The June statewide unemployment figure of 4.0 percent was also lower than the 4.3 percent rate reported in June 2024, according to department figures.

The federal government calculates New York’s unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 state households that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts.

Utica to host State Summer Games for Special Olympics N.Y. the next three years

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UTICA, N.Y. — Utica will host the next three annual editions of the State Summer Games for Special Olympics New York between 2026 and 2028. Utica University will serve as the hub of State Summer Games, with Opening & Closing Ceremonies and most of the sports competitions held on site. The campus will also provide

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UTICA, N.Y. — Utica will host the next three annual editions of the State Summer Games for Special Olympics New York between 2026 and 2028.

Utica University will serve as the hub of State Summer Games, with Opening & Closing Ceremonies and most of the sports competitions held on site. The campus will also provide housing and meals for athletes and coaches. Additional venues scheduled to host State Summer Games events include Hamilton College (swimming), City of Utica (tennis) and Mohawk Valley Community College (volleyball).

Special Olympics New York, Utica University, and community leaders on July 28 gathered at the Utica University Hudson Sports & Recreation Center at 1600 Burrstone Road in Utica to make the announcement.

State Summer Games is the largest statewide competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics New York said in its announcement. The games will be offered each June for more than 1,200 athletes and coaches from across the state to compete in six sports: basketball, powerlifting, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Utica University and the surrounding communities to give our athletes a first-class State Summer Games where they will go for the gold in their favorite sports, reconnect with friends from all across New York, and meet new volunteers,” Stacey Hengsterman, president and CEO of Special Olympics New York, said in the announcement. “Making this three-year commitment to inclusion is a significant undertaking, and we are so grateful to our partners for their collaboration and support.”

In addition to the sports competitions, State Summer Games also includes a signature Special Olympics Opening Ceremony. In the ceremony, participants and the community come together to celebrate inclusion; activities for aspiring young athletes from local elementary schools; and a victory dance. In addition, it includes a Healthy Athletes event where athletes receive free health screenings in several disciplines such as vision care, dental care, hearing, podiatry, nutrition, and mental health, per the announcement.

“We’re excited to welcome more than 1,200 Special Olympics athletes and their coaches and families. With the support of the community, I know we’re going to make this a weekend to remember for everyone involved,” Utica University President Todd Pfannestiel said. “This is such a natural fit on so many levels, but in particular, the Special Olympics mission of providing opportunity aligns so closely with our own. We’re happy to have the Games back in Utica for three years and hopefully longer, and we cannot wait for next June to be here.”

“We are honored that the Special Olympics New York State Summer Games will be held in Oneida County for the next three years,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr., said. “This is more than a sporting event — it’s a celebration of courage, determination and inclusion. We look forward to welcoming these incredible athletes, their families and supporters and showing them the warmth, pride and spirit that define our community.”

Startup fund Upstate Biotech Ventures now has $10 million

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Upstate Biotech Ventures (UBV), Upstate Medical University’s startup biotech fund, now has significantly more funding than it did when UBV was announced in July 2024. SUNY Chancellor John King, Jr. on July 16 announced a $4 million increase in the startup biotech fund for a total $10 million investment. Empire State Development

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Upstate Biotech Ventures (UBV), Upstate Medical University’s startup biotech fund, now has significantly more funding than it did when UBV was announced in July 2024.

SUNY Chancellor John King, Jr. on July 16 announced a $4 million increase in the startup biotech fund for a total
$10 million investment. Empire State Development (ESD) and Upstate Medical University provided the $4 million, SUNY said in the announcement.

The move comes about a year after the fund’s official launch in July 2024 with an initial $6 million in backing from ESD and Upstate Medical University.

Upstate Biotech Ventures (UBV) is a regional venture-capital fund supported by Upstate Medical University, Empire State Development (ESD), and SUNY, and managed by Excell Partners.

UBV was established to support and accelerate the growth of early-stage biotech, life sciences, and health-tech companies in upstate New York. The latest infusion of capital “underscores growing confidence in the region’s innovation potential and the fund’s targeted approach to advancing cutting-edge healthcare solutions,” SUNY said.

“The ongoing investment by SUNY, Empire State Development, and Upstate Medical supports transformative early-stage scientific research that will benefit New York State, our nation, and the entire global community,” King said in the announcement. “We look forward to the continued success of this fund and the research projects it serves.”

Fundraising has already begun with private investors to continue growing the fund.

Besides the additional funding, UBV also announced its first round of investments, totaling over $1.8 million across three “high-potential” startups. The investments include $1 million for DUB Therapeutics, $500,000 for MimiVax, and $350,000 for sayhii.

About the startups

In keeping with the funding guidelines, all companies that receive investments are clients of the Central New York Biotechnology Accelerator (CNYBAC) at Upstate Medical University.

DUB Therapeutics, an Upstate Medical University spinout company, is developing a revolutionary self-delivering siRNA (sdRNA) therapeutic aimed at preventing inflammation and scarring in corneal injuries.

By targeting the USP10 protein, their sdRNA technology can penetrate cells without additional reagents and provide long-lasting treatment with just a single dose. The firm’s initial product — an eye drop for corneal opacification — is designed to reduce vision loss risk from infection or trauma, addressing a significant unmet need in ocular medicine.

MimiVax is advancing immunotherapy for brain cancer, with a focus on glioblastoma (GBM), one of the most lethal forms of brain tumors.

The company’s lead candidate, SurVaxM, is a peptide-based vaccine targeting survivin, a protein highly expressed in cancer cells. Currently in phase 2B clinical trials, SurVaxM has already “achieved full enrollment” and represents a “potentially” life-extending therapy for patients with GBM and other cancers, SUNY said.

The startup sayhii is described as a “transformative voice-of-the-employee platform focused on daily engagement,” per the SUNY announcement.

By delivering personalized questions each morning, sayhii captures real-time employee feedback to enhance culture, improve communication, and support leadership decision-making with actionable insights. Its mission is to make every employee’s voice heard — “driving trust, transparency, and data-informed workplace strategies.”

“Upstate Biotech Ventures exists to support companies like DUB Therapeutics, MimiVax, and sayhii, which are just three examples of the many promising high-tech companies that are innovating new technologies and addressing challenges in the healthcare industry,” Theresa Mazzullo, CEO of Excell Partners, said in the SUNY announcement. “UBV provides life science companies like sayhii, DUB Therapeutics, and MimiVax the critical capital required to launch and grow in Upstate NY.”

“Continued investment in the Upstate Medical University community and the broader Central New York region provides much needed capital to researchers and entrepreneurs who are developing life-changing medical and life sciences innovations,” Melur Ramasubramanian, SUNY executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost, said. “As part of a robust portfolio of innovative programs that make up SUNY’s technology-to-market strategy, Upstate Biotech Ventures plays an important part in catalyzing SUNY’s far-reaching research, innovation, and entrepreneurial capacity.”

Ramasubramanian also serves as president of the SUNY Research Foundation.

“Empire State Development is proud to support Upstate Biotech Ventures as it identifies and invests in the next generation of biotech and life sciences companies across the region,” Hope Knight, president, CEO, and commissioner of Empire State Development said in the SUNY announcement.

Students learn about sports-medicine careers at Guthrie event

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DICKINSON, N.Y. — Nearly 40 students from area high schools learned about professions in sports medicine and received hands-on experience during a July 18 event hosted by Guthrie Sports Medicine. The inaugural “Game Plan: Careers in Sports Medicine” provided instruction for 39 students in an interactive career day at SUNY Broome Community College, near Binghamton

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DICKINSON, N.Y. — Nearly 40 students from area high schools learned about professions in sports medicine and received hands-on experience during a July 18 event hosted by Guthrie Sports Medicine.

The inaugural “Game Plan: Careers in Sports Medicine” provided instruction for 39 students in an interactive career day at SUNY Broome Community College, near Binghamton (town of Dickinson).

Zach Spencer, a certified athletic trainer with Guthrie Sports Medicine, came up with the idea for the program and organized it.

“The goal for ‘Game Plan’ was to spark interest in health care careers, especially within sports medicine, and show students the diverse paths available,” Spencer said in a Guthrie announcement. “Many schools host career day fairs where students learn about different professions, but these events rarely offer hands-on experiences of daily work activities. Our goal was to provide interactive learning opportunities that actively engage students in the healthcare field.”

Guthrie Sports Medicine specializes in care for athletes and active individuals, with services ranging from injury prevention and diagnosis to treatment and rehabilitation. The organization’s team of athletic trainers and strength coaches works with numerous high school sports programs throughout the Twin Tiers region, helping student-athletes “recover and return to peak performance,” Guthrie said.

Career day summary

Throughout the daylong event, students rotated among three teams, participating in hands-on sessions led by Guthrie professionals. Morning activities centered on emergency-medical services, CPR, and athletic training.

Afternoon sessions focused on orthopedics, strength and conditioning training, and physical-therapy fundamentals with Windsor Physical Therapy, Guthrie Physical Therapy, and Broome Physical Therapy Assistant Program collaborating. During lunch, a Guthrie nutritionist educated students on the topic of sports nutrition.

The event also included the American Heart Association Heart Saver course, which Guthrie described as a “key component of the program.” Students completed online coursework before the event and then received in-person certification during the July 18 program in AED (automatic external defibrillator) use, first aid, adult and infant CPR, EpiPen administration, and scene safety.

The afternoon also featured three Guthrie orthopedic physicians who demonstrated practical skills including casting, diagnostic ultrasound, and other orthopedic procedures. Nurses and athletic trainers provided additional expertise throughout the day.

“The event allowed us to share our passion and provide practical, hands-on experience that can truly shape their future decisions,” Spencer said. “We hope to offer this program again next summer and continue serving local students in the years ahead.”

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