Marilyn Higgins was given an award today during the Near Westside Initiative’s Multicultural Block Party. She accepted a bouquet by a student during ceremony and was joined on stage by Near Westside executives Robert Daino and Maarten Jacobs (far right). The crowd later serenaded Higgins for her birthday.
Can the Corridor become the new heart of the city
Last week the Connective Corridor threw a Midsummer Night Party at Forman Park. The event included dining, music and a public art instillation. We didn’t get to stay for the whole event, which started late due to midday rain, but what we saw looked like attending a big dinner party crawling with interesting people (including politicians, police officers, neighborhood business leaders, students, SU officials and visitors from out of town).
Despite what we think about the price tag and the construction delays, the Connective Corridor project continues to bring people together in Midtown, Downtown, on the Hill, and the Near Westside.
We realize there are other pressing issues for our city, such as the frequent water main breaks and aging infrastructure. Most NY cities have this problem.
We also are convinced that there’s no magic bullet or cure-all for Syracuse (including downtown stadiums, highway re-routing and harbor hotels), but we applaud the radical focus the Corridor team has applied to coalescing the city through transportation/design/arts.
The Corridor office operates like a reality award-winning R&D shop and urban design center.They are dedicated to making the city work better and we’ve seen it up close. The Corridor leadership under the direction of Marilyn Higgins and Linda Dickerson Hartsock has produced some great initiatives. Chancellor Cantor may have cast the vision, but Higgins and Hartsock helped bring it to pass.
Someday we all will look back and realize The Corridor was one of the five things that helped revive this city.
Filming in Forman Park
Lifting the veil on urban design
Urban Rest Stop: Public Art Installation
Marilyn Higgins, VP of Community Engagement and Economic Development for Syracuse University