Manlius apartment developer seeks 10-year property tax cut for 309 units

A 309-unit apartment project on North Burdick Street is asking Manlius and other local officials to cut its property tax bill in half for the next decade, putting a familiar Onondaga County question back on the table: how much tax relief should taxpayers give up in exchange for more housing?

Twin Ponds Housing HB, LLC, an affiliate of Hueber-Breuer Construction Co., wants the incentive for Twin Ponds Residential Community at 5440 North Burdick Street in Manlius and Fayetteville. In return, the company says it would create seven permanent jobs and reserve 31 apartments, or 10% of the total, for below-market rents. The project would include 309 residential units, a small mixed-use building, a clubhouse and recreation areas.

The developer-commissioned MRB Group analysis says construction would generate 205 direct jobs and 461 total construction jobs when indirect impacts are included, along with $34.1 million in direct construction wages. Once built, the complex would support 140 ongoing jobs regionally and $7.2 million in annual wages. The same report says the development would generate $23.787 million more in property tax revenue over 30 years than it would under the current assessment.

The fiscal tradeoff is sharper in the short term. MRB Group estimates an average annual net negative impact of $20,212 for the town and $25,836 for fire services, offset by a positive $104,368 for schools, for a combined annual gain of $58,320 across local governments and school districts. Over 10 years, that works out to roughly $202,120 less for the town and $258,360 less for fire services, while the school district would come out about $1.04 million ahead. The public question is whether the added housing stock, the jobs and the 31 reduced-rent apartments justify the incentive, or whether the main winner is the developer.

The project has already stirred concern in Manlius. In public letters, some residents said the proposal had “flew under the radar” and warned about traffic on North Burdick Street and at the Burdick-Genesee Street intersection. That response reflects the broader suburban tension around apartment construction in Onondaga County, where new multifamily projects often face resistance even as officials search for more housing options for seniors, young professionals and workers priced out of single-family homes.

The Town of Manlius planning board approved a site plan amendment for Twin Ponds Housing LLC in May 2025 and discussed the project again in November. The proposal also lands after the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency approved $2.6 million in exemptions for Willow Brook Crossing in 2019, including about $2.1 million in property tax discounts over 10 years, showing how often housing debates in Manlius turn into arguments over who pays, who benefits and how much public subsidy is enough.