Syracuse City officials preview Phase 3 of school comprehensive plan; construction targeted to start in 2027

Syracuse City officials on Aug. 28 presented a preview of Phase 3 of the city’s school comprehensive plan, describing a multi‑phase renovation program that staff said is designed to maximize state aid while balancing long construction cycles and rising costs.

The program manager told board members the plan is organized into eight components covering scope, phasing and finance and said construction for the first phase is expected to start in 2027. “The goal of the program is that we're really trying to renovate spaces, and to give you better alignment with program needs both now and in the future so that the buildings are equipped with that as we go forward,” the program manager said. The manager added a plain priority: “keep the water out,” referring to repairs to roofs, windows, masonry and other building envelopes.

Board members were given a one‑page schedule that staff said breaks the work into four phases: Phase A and Phase B would each include three buildings, while Phases C and D would include two buildings each. Staff identified Webster, Seymour and Nottingham as the first three buildings; Nottingham is expected to run longer to allow work across three summers. Two swing schools will be used to limit…