January 16, 2025

Palladium Hall, The Treasury

In Attendance:

Betsy Elkins, Resident; Bill Elkins, Resident; Dr. Eric Saxon, Cuse Chiro; Sarah Tietje-Mietz, Downtown Committee; Joe Violette, Downtown Committee; Laura Heyman, Brewer Harris Projects; Joanne Rauch, C.R. Fletcher; Michelle Jevis, C.R. Fletcher; Kara O’Connor, Kara Anne; Bridget Rooney, Visit Syracuse; Steve Breitzka, EDR; Dawn Schmidt, Palladium Events.

Update from SPD

• Dr. Eric met with SPD morning of 1/16/2025 to discuss issues and reviewed last year’s crime stats. Stats are lower than in previous years, minus car thefts (break-ins and thefts).

◦ SPD is making changes with how they are handled and are optimistic about where this is headed in reducing crime.

Food Drive Update:

• Not many donations according to Betsy

◦ Questions/ideas on how we can improve visibility

▪ Send another email about this to HAS group

▪ Create digital poster

• Send to Visit Syracuse, DTC, etc.

• Betsy will create and email

▪ Suggestion to put up posters at businesses such as Stories, ProntoFresh, Kara Anne, etc.

Other Updates/Items:

• Downtown TNT Meeting this week

◦ One Hanover Square project that is promising

▪ Erie Canal Museum project to expand green space where the gravel bed is. Proposed to replace gravel with garden and wildflower space

▪

• Art in the Atrium

◦ New exhibit up: Short Notice

▪ Bridget asked how we can help support and share info about these events, and the bars and restaurants right nearby for visitors to the show to patronize.

▪ Idea of inviting Scott Herrmann (Arts in the Atrium) to come to a meeting to share info and ideas of support

• Student film project filming in Hanover Square in Feb outside of Orbis

◦ Sarah to confirm date: 11 am – 2 pm on February 2nd (updated after meeting)

• Brewer Harris Project:

◦ Gallery owners Laura Heyman and Miesha Shih

▪ Laura was at meeting to share information about Gallery:

• In Bank Alley

• Will exhibit emerging, local, and national artists

• Will also have panel discussions, acoustic music

• The grand opening to the public will be Feb 14 with artist Manuel Hernandez

◦ There will be additional programming around this

• Gallery Instagram is live

• Fountain Update:

◦ Work is supposed to start in Spring 2025 and go through Sept/Oct 2025

◦ Should not affect outdoor seating during Hanover Thursdays

▪ Good idea to look at what other options are in case it does impact this series of events

• Reorienting Stage?

• Swap months with Westcott Thursdays?

• Dawn offered to look into whether the Treasury/Palladium space can do anything to help with this or as a rain space

▪ Question of whether plans are available now to review?

▪ Question if this will impact the proposed date of June 2 for Memorial Garden unveiling?

• Tree Lighting along Hanover Square

◦ Question if this can be extended throughout the square

▪ Could TNT funds be applied to for this?

Next Meeting: 4:30 PM Thursday, February 20, 2025 at Elite Gaming (in Atrium Building).