The old Syracuse newspaper building is on the verge of a major makeover.
VIP Structures of Syracuse bought the massive Clinton Square landmark about a year ago and is just a few months away from beginning construction on it.
Dave Nutting, CEO of VIP Structures, says, “We think this is probably the prime spot downtown that needs redeveloping so its really going to raise the entire level of what’s going on downtown.”
He says his company has outgrown its current home at Webster’s Landing and plans to redevelop the entire first floor for its nearly 100 workers.
The second floor will be office space for another company, or two or three, to fill out the space likely attracting another 150-160 workers there.
Nutting says, “Whereas there has been a big move to people moving downtown for apartments I think we’re just at the beginning of a big move of people moving down here for offices.”
VIP is also planning to add another three floors to the building to make room for 79 apartments.
“The three stories will all have balconies looking out over the park from the apartments– we’re doing so we’ll be capturing it that way. We are likely not going to try and make it a mock antique building, we’re going to do some contemporary that works with today’s life that has lots of light and liveliness happening in the building itself.” Nutting tells NewsChannel 9.
The building will host Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh’s Inaugural Ball at the end of January.
After that he says the goal is to start construction in the next six months and then have people moving in the last few months of 2019.
VIP Structures is also the owner and architect of the Pike Block project transforming four buildings at the corner of Salina and Fayette Streets in Downtown Syracuse a few years ago.
