Shown on a Zoom meeting are members of the Syracuse Town Council and the press. At the top, from left, are Councilman Larry Martindale, Lauren Zeugner, The Mail-Journal and freelancer Denise Fedorow.
In the middle are Vern Landis, town attorney, Dennis Otten, Bose, McKinney and Evans, bond attorneys, and Jim Higgins, London Witte. In the bottom row are Councilman Larry Siegel, Council president Paul Stoelting and Mike Noe, town manager. Councilman Bill Musser’s name appears because he did not activate his video. (Photo by Lauren Zeugner

By LAUREN ZEUGNER

InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse Town Council and Syracuse Redevelopment Commission had a busy morning Thursday, May 7, as they hammered out the details for an economic development agreement and a real estate purchase agreement in an executive session.

The council and redevelopment commission then met publicly in separate meetings via Zoom to approve both agreements.

The agreements will allow Polywood LLC  to purchase the Harold S. Schrock Athletic Complex, located at 900 W. Brooklyn St., for $10. Polywood is planning a $12,000,000 expansion by building a 300,000- to 400,000-square-foot manufacturing building on the property. When completed, Polywood expects to employ an additional 300 to 400 people.

Polywood has agreed to give $500,000 as a contribution toward the purchase of another property and development of a new ball park. Costs for purchasing the property and developing the new park is estimated to cost around $1.5 million.

The remaining funding for the park will come from a tax increment finance district that encompasses the Polywood complex. No town money will be used for the new park.

In addition to acquiring the current ball park property, Polywood will be granted 10-year personal and property tax abatements and issuance of certain redevelopment district bond anticipation notes and bonds from the town, payable from the tax increment resulting from the project.

Along with acquiring the ball park property, certain road intersection projects will be made to advance truck traffic and turning improvements to Polywood’s campus. Estimated completion for Polywood’s expansion is March 31, 2024.

The purchase agreement approved by the town council is to purchase 23.57 acres on Kern Road, known as Black Walnut Farms, owned by Michael Schafer for a new ball park.

According to the economic development agreement, “Prior to commencing any work on the project (expansion) that would prevent the current athletic complex from being available for use in the spring and summer of 2021, the developer (Polywood) shall obtain confirmation from the town that the new athletic complex will be available for use in the spring and summer of 2021.

“If there is a delay in the availability of the new athletic complex for use by such time, the developer shall hold off on commencing the project until the earlier of the date the new athletic complex is available for use or Fall 2021.”

The town council also approved a purchase order for $2,400 for survey work of the Harold Schrock Athletic Complex to Kimple and Associates out of Warsaw. Council member Larry Martindale explained a survey had not been done since the Wawasee School Corporation gave the town the property over seven years ago.

The council also approved paying Kimple and Associates $10,800 to complete seven other engineering projects at Black Walnut Farms. These projects include survey work, borings and an erosion plan as preliminary work for developing the new athletic complex.

In other council business, Alan Frank, former principal of Wawasee High School was appointed to the area plan commission.