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Senate approves move of Central New York Welcome Center from Destiny USA to Auburn heritage center
Summary
On March 17, 2025, the New York State Senate passed legislation directing the Department of Economic Development to relocate the Central New York Welcome Center from Destiny USA in Syracuse to the Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn. The measure passed after floor debate about siting, local input and visitor traffic and was approved 57-4.
The New York State Senate on Monday approved legislation directing the Department of Economic Development to move the Central New York Welcome Center from Destiny USA in Syracuse to the Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn.
Senator May, the bill sponsor, said the move would restore an original plan and provide operating funds to a building that she said was built to be a welcome center but “does not have operating funding.” She argued the Auburn site, adjacent to City Hall and near the Seward House and Harriet Tubman–related historic sites, would attract more visitors to a “welcome center in the heart of a very historic region in Central New York.”
Senator Walchuk pressed the sponsor on the site-selection process and questioned whether relocating the center from Destiny USA — which he said receives about 26,000,000 visitors a year — would reduce exposure for Taste New York vendors. He said his “biggest concern” was that the sponsor had not sought formal feedback from municipalities and county legislatures across Central New York and announced he would vote no.
Senator May responded that the current welcome center location at Destiny USA has “precious little foot traffic” and that the Equal Rights Heritage Center already houses a Taste New York site and receives visitors drawn by nearby historic attractions and school field trips. She said Auburn has both street parking and a parking garage across from the heritage center that offers limited free time for the public.
After debate, the Senate restored the bill to the noncontroversial calendar and then passed it. The chamber recorded four negative votes — Senators Barrello, Rhodes, Walzick, and White — and the clerk announced the final tally as 57 ayes and 4 nays. Senator May explained her affirmative vote before the final announcement.
The legislation directs the Department of Economic Development to relocate the Central New York Welcome Center to the Equal Rights Heritage Center in the city of Auburn; the bill text as read on the floor specified that the measure takes effect immediately. The transcript did not record whether any implementing memorandum of understanding, funding detail beyond previously allocated operating dollars, or timelines for the physical move were included in the bill language.
The measure’s passage returns the issue of where the state operates a regional welcome center to a new site intended to concentrate cultural and historical exhibits alongside Taste New York offerings. Questions raised on the floor centered on process, local consultation and the expected difference in visitor exposure between a large regional mall and a downtown historic site.
