As the lawsuit between Syracuse University and the developer it hired to construct a new bookstore enters its ninth month, the fences surrounding the proposed construction site are posing a problem for city-owned sidewalks and bike paths.

The construction site, located at 601 University Ave., has been dormant since June, but portions of the city-owned sidewalk and Connective Corridor bike lanes have remained enclosed inside the construction fence. Last week, a lawyer for the city sent a letter to the judge in the case asking to meet with the two sides to discuss these areas being closed off as litigation continues.

The developer, Cameron Hill Construction LLC, sued the university in July 2014, about a month after SU terminated its contract to build a new bookstore and fitness center on University Avenue. The university cited construction delays and inability to secure financing as reasons for ending the project. But Cameron Group says the two parties had a good working relationship and that it has lost approximately $1.5 million on the project.

The issue with the bike lanes and sidewalks is just the latest collateral effect of the lawsuit. The new bookstore on University Avenue would have freed up considerable space in the Schine Student Center and allowed for needed renovations to the nearly 30-year-old building. Now those plans seem to be on hold as well.

In June, the university said it wasn’t seeking other developers and would be re-setting the process for the project. Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs at SU, said that although the lawsuit is still in progress, the university continues to make talking to students about their priorities for campus and physical space needs a “top priority.”

Bike lanes

The closure of the bike lanes on University Avenue was never an ideal situation, but cyclists were willing to accept it as long as construction was still going on, said Steve Reiter, a member of BikeCNY, an organization that advocates for bike lanes, bike routes and shared roadways in the Syracuse area.

The group met with the Syracuse Common Council in January to discuss the issue of bike lanes in the area, and someone brought up the problem of the closed bike lanes on University Avenue. At the time, the city told the group there was nothing they could do, Reiter said.

“It really seemed as if there was no one really willing to do anything,” he said.

But BikeCNY kept bringing up the issue, and Reiter attributes the pressure the organization has put on the city as a major reason Syracuse is now acting.

The University Avenue bike lanes are an important part of a developing network of bike lanes in the city, Reiter said. About 500 cyclists a day ride down Euclid Avenue, with many of them continuing down University Avenue and into the downtown.

With Centro considering cutting back its bus service, having a strong network of bicycle lanes will be even more important, Reiter said.

“We’re trying to make this an issue,” he said. “There are folks who can’t get around without bicycles.”

Alexander Marion, the press secretary for Mayor Stephanie Miner, said the city understands the blocked sidewalks are an issue of concern for many bikers, and has asked the judge in the case to ask the developers to move construction materials from the bike lane.

John Cherundolo, a lawyer for Cameron Group, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Construction delays

In August, a judge blocked SU from firing Cameron Group until the lawsuit is resolved, effectively halting any construction on the site. The judge also barred SU from drawing on a $250,000 bank letter of credit Cameron Group provided the university in case it defaulted on its obligations.

The two sides have been in settlement talks since September 2014 and in December, Cameron Group rejected a settlement offer from the university. On Feb. 13, the two sides agreed to extend the settlement talks until March 9. There has been no update in the case since then.

Prior to SU terminating the contract in June 2014, Cameron Group had said the bookstore project would be completed this June. Cameron Group broke ground on the project in December 2013 but decided to delay construction until spring 2014 because the ground was frozen and because SU had concerns about the design.

Changes to Schine Student Center are being discussed as part of the SU campus master plan, which will be released this summer. Brie Hensold, principal and project manager at Sasaki Associates, an architecture firm helping to create the plan, said in a statement that Schine has an “ideal location” on campus. In thinking about the next steps for Schine, the firm is considering feedback it received from the community in a survey conducted last fall, she said.

“Comments ranged from praise for the flexible study spaces in the Panasci Lounge and the role Schine plays as the heart of campus life, to complaints about the architecture and quality of the food,” Hensold said.

Tax deal

Part of what made the project possible in the first place was a tax break Cameron Group received from the city in July 2012. The 30-year tax-exemption deal would have allowed the company to pay the city $64,400 per year over 30 years, instead of $379,000 per year if the building was fully taxed, saving the company more than $9 million over that period.

That tax deal is specific only to Cameron Group and if SU decides to move forward with the project using another developer, a new tax deal will have to be negotiated.

Published on March 24, 2015 at 11:59 pm

Contact Jessica: jliannet@syr.edu | @JessicaIannetta