Syracuse apartment complex gets overhaul, could reshape valley neighborhood

A long-troubled apartment complex in Syracuse’s valley section is being stripped down and rebuilt in a test of whether one property can help steady the streets around it, or simply repackage pressure on the neighborhood. The former Ballantyne Apartments, now under new downstate investors, once had code violations, broken windows, plumbing problems, squatters and long-vacant units. Abraham Goldstein, a spokesperson for The Cortile, said about 45% of the apartments were full of belongings left behind, and some of that debris sat for a year or longer before cleanup began.

The property is a large one: four buildings and 140 units. Investors said they moved existing tenants into one building after fixing code issues and other problems, then began rebuilding the site one building at a time. Goldstein said the first step was getting the worst conditions under control, including cleanup, evictions and repairs that made the complex usable again.

To change the feel of the place, the developers added fencing, security cameras and security guards. Goldstein said crime at the property had fallen to less than 10% of what it had been a year ago, a change that matters far beyond the parking lots and hallways. In a neighborhood where a troubled complex can drag down nearby blocks, the immediate question is whether those gains hold once more tenants move in and the empty units start filling again.

The first renovated apartments include new cabinets, stainless-steel appliances, refinished wood floors and stronger doors and trim. Longer-term plans for the other buildings include gyms, a spa room, workspaces and improved grounds. The target renters appear to be professional workers, young professionals, medical employees and graduate students who would pay for a gated setting that promises safer parking, more amenities and rents below some downtown options.

That is where the neighborhood stakes sharpen. If the complex can attract stable tenants and keep upkeep tight, it could lift the perception of nearby streets and businesses and help turn a former liability into an asset. If it stalls with half-finished renovations and weak leasing, the valley section could be left with another expensive promise that never fully reaches the residents living next door.