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Syracuse Near West Side Neighborhood Plan Received Stage 1 LEED-ND Gold Certification

The Syracuse Near West Side Neighborhood Plan has received Stage 1 LEED-ND Gold Certification. This project was led by Raimi & Associates, with Opticos serving as the urban design consultant. This project was a pilot application of LEED-ND to an existing neighborhood.

The 150-acre planning area, which is within the SALT District (Syracuse Arts, Life, and Technology), has 8,400 residents (50% of whom are currently living below the poverty level) and a burgeoning artistic community. The project was completed in cooperation with the Near West Side Initiative, a nonprofit organization leading the redevelopment of the area. As it existed, the neighborhood scored 35 points on the LEED scale, below the necessary 40 points necessary for minimum certification. The Plan, which scored a 62, includes restoration of wetlands, integration of community gardens and other public spaces, recommended zoning changes to remove obstacles for infill and revitalization, and a design that will transform a public housing project into a mixed-income community.