University Neighborhood business owners, employees reflect on the future of the area
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Colin Smith remembers frequently visiting J Michael Shoes on Marshall Street as a child in the 2000s. Even though the store took up 300 square feet at the time compared to the 3,000 square feet of space now, Smith said you could feel the pulse that came from community and customer interactions.
Now an assistant manager at the retailer, Smith said he felt a change in the “vibration” of the store, which he sees as a second home, and in the university neighborhood as a whole.
“You would feel an energy when you stepped on those bricks,” Smith, who’s been working at the store for around two and a half years, said. “That energy is still there, but I just don’t feel like it’s quite as strong as it used to be.”
After years of sales, construction and disruption in the university area, some local business owners are worried about the future state of the neighborhood. This comes as Syracuse University raises the cost of attendance to the highest it’s been in years and struggles to house new students.
In November, SU announced it will convert the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center — which the university bought in 2000 — into undergraduate housing, with construction set to be finalized before the fall 2024 semester. Students have already been living at the Sheraton as well as at other non-traditional locations like 206 Walnut Ave.
While Smith said the conversion of the Sheraton may help bring more students closer to local businesses, he expressed concern about visitors losing vital lodging close to campus. The nearest hotels to SU’s campus as of now — besides the Sheraton — include Collegian Hotel & Suites, Crowne Plaza and Hotel Skyler.
“A majority of families that we’ve seen over the last couple of years book way in advance for the Sheraton,” Smith said. “What are these families gonna do when they come to visit now?”
The university’s influx of purchases and acquisitions is ongoing. In 2019, SU demolished nine buildings on the 700 block of Ostrom Avenue. It also acquired and demolished property on the 800 block of Comstock Avenue in 2022.
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In July 2021, SU bought The Marshall, which originally opened in 2018, for $69.4 million to increase student housing. The university recently announced it will function as a second-year residence hall in the spring 2024 semester.
These moves are part of the university’s Campus Framework, a 20-year infrastructure plan started in 2017 to analyze and develop SU’s campus.
“Our Community Engagement team has attended meetings with area stakeholders, and as always, remain engaged with our neighbors on issues that impact our community,” a university spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange.
Bill Nester, a manager and co-owner at Manny’s on Marshall Street, has been working at the campus apparel store for the past 40 years. Even with the long-standing connection he’s developed with the local area, Nester said the university’s expansion is on the right pace as it plays an important role as a “powerhouse” for Syracuse.
“I hate to see some of these old houses go, but they only have a certain lifespan like the rest of us,” Nester said. “Eventually we all have to go and let somebody else take over.”
Ken Zhou, a part-time manager at Hi Tea, said he sees the Sheraton’s conversion as an “excellent” way to get more students to come to Syracuse. He enjoys getting to see fresh faces walk into the bubble tea cafe and sees the new dorm as a way to keep business busy.
Nester echoed Zhou’s thoughts — interactions with students, families and the local community motivated the store manager to remain with Manny’s for the past four decades.
“You have to earn an income, too, but it goes beyond that,” Nester said. “Being here for 40 years, you get to see customers come back with their kids. And now, I’m starting to see some grandkids.”
Jim Quinn — co-owner of retail store Down Under Leather — said because of the recent changes, the university neighborhood now feels more like it’s controlled by SU rather than a college neighborhood that is supported by local stores.
“I just think Syracuse (University) wants to commercialize everything, which isn’t good,” Quinn said. “We need to have relationships.”
Smith echoed Quinn’s remarks about the importance of communication in the area. He said over the past few years, local business owners have visited each other’s stores numerous times to maintain relationships with each other.
“Not being involved with the university is its own thing, and it is what it is when it comes to that,” Smith said. “Keep your community in the business and keep the business in your community.”
In 2022, the university bought the spaces occupied by Varsity Pizza and Faegan’s Cafe & Pub in a $12 million deal.
Matthew Robinson, the manager at Varsity Pizza, said the university has always treated the business fairly and has given them multiple opportunities to showcase their food on campus, including at the JMA Wireless Dome.
“We help them and they help us,” Robinson said. “They always keep us in the loop.”
Quinn has seen a noticeable decline in foot traffic in his store compared to years prior. He said the decrease in customers came due to the construction of the National Veterans Resource Center blocking off walkways, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic altering the way people interact with each other and buy items.
Quinn, who grew up near Syracuse, remembers frequently interacting with stores like Down Under Leather as a teenager. The long-time local said the store now feels like “more of a museum.”
“You can try so much to establish a media presence, but at the end of the day, how are you going to compete with big bucks stores, or something like that, when it comes to the same business models?” Smith said. “It’s tough being the little guy sometimes.”
Smith is optimistic that businesses in the campus area will return to the level of activity they had in prior decades but said communication between everyone will be key.
“It doesn’t feel quite as homey as it used to be, but I’m hoping down the road we can get it back to where it should be,” Smith said. “We need to bring Marshall Street back. We need Marshall Street back to what it used to be. Right now, this is not Marshall Street.”
