OUR FIRST REPORT IS RIGHT HERE IN SYRACUSE.

SALINA 1ST, SYRACUSE'S FIRST-ALL-MINORITY LED COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, 10 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT, ENCOMPASSES TWO ADJACENT BUILDINGS OVER NEARLY TWO ACRES.

THE SPACE WILL FEATURE RETAIL SPACES, AN INCUBATOR AREA FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING, ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT, AND MIXED-INCOME RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS, OFFERING DOWNTOWN LIVING AFFORDABILITY.

EXPECTED TO CONCLUDE IN 2024, THIS PROJECT EXEMPLIFIES A GREAT NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED BY SYRACUSE'S INAUGURAL ALL-MINORITY LED COMMERCIAL VENTURE.

>> OUR BUSINESS STARTED IN THE CITY OF SYRACUSE IN 1981.

WE HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT COULD WE DO TO PRODUCE AND MANUFACTURE THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY GROW.

IN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WASN'T A DREAM OF MINE.

IT WAS MY FATHER'S DREAM.

ALWAYS THOUGHT WE COULD DEVELOP THINGS IN THE CITY OF SYRACUSE AND BE SELF SUFFICIENT.

>> BEFORE EMMANUEL AND ELI CAME FORWARD WITH THIS VISION, NOBODY WAS INVESTING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SYRACUSE.

AND IT REALLY WAS JUST SITTING THERE WITH NOTHING HAPPENING.

SO IT'S SO EXCITING.

AND THE MAYOR ALWAYS SAYS, SALINA 1st IS THE FIRST COMPANY TO COME AND PLANT THEIR FLAG ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

>> ABOUT $16 MILLION THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO BE.

THE THREE PARTNERS HAVE ONLY PUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN OF OUR OWN MONEY.

THAT'S SIGNIFICANT IN ITSELF.

BUT TO HAVE A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE COME TO ONE OF THE POOREST SIDES OF TOWN IN THE SYRACUSE COMMUNITY, OUR SOUTH SIDE, IS HUGE.

>> WE BELIEVE THAT OVER 10 YEARS, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT A $39 MILLION PLUS COMMUNITY BENEFITS PACKAGE IN ADDITION TO THE $16 MILLION INVESTMENT THAT WE WILL BE MAKING TO START.

>> TO ME, IT'S ALL ABOUT DREAMING.

IF PEOPLE CAN DREAM THAT THEY CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THEN THEY CAN IMAGINE THAT THEY CAN DO IT, YOU KNOW, IF TWO GUYS LIKE ME AND ELI CAN DO THIS, ANYBODY CAN DO THIS.

TRUST ME.

BELIEVE IT.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANT TO SHOW PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN REINVEST OUR OWN DOLLARS BACK IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY TO SEE IT FLOURISH.

>> WHAT SALINA 1st REPRESENTS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL BUSINESSES TO GROW FROM THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE AND EVEN AFTER THAT, ONCE THE BUILDING IS BUILT, WE ARE GOING TO CREATE NUMEROUS FULL-TIME JOBS BY THE BUSINESSES THAT WILL OCCUPY THAT SPACE?

>> AND THE ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE OF WHERE WE ARE, WE ALSO KNOW ABOUT THE RACIAL INEQUALITY IN THAT FOOTPRINT.

SO US COMING INTO THAT COMMUNITY, BEING BUY BIPOC DEVELOPER, PEOPLE ARE MORE INCLINED TO COME AND UTILIZE THAT SPACE, RENT THAT SPACE, RENT THOSE APARTMENTS, BECAUSE THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING IN HISTORY.

>> WHERE THE LOCATION OF SALINA 1st IS IS REALLY CONVENIENT FOR WALK-IN TRAFFIC FOR THE BUSINESSES AND DRIVE UP AS WELL.

>> THIS AREA USED TO BE 10 VACANT LOTS AND THEY WERE VACANT LOTS FOR DECADES AND DECADES.

IT'S ALSO A BROWN FIELD.

WE ARE DOING BROWN FIELD REMEDIATION, WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.

WE ARE ALSO MAKING IT A NET ZERO PROJECT.

SO WE ARE LOOKING AT ALSO FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE, WHERE WE CAN HELP BRING MORE ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY ALSO TO THE SOUTH SIDE.

NEXT MILESTONE IS TO COMPLETE OUR REMEDIATION.

WE HAVE DONE PROBABLY 50 TO 60% OF THE SITE WORK AND THE SITE REMEDIATION.

WE HAVE TO COMPLETE THAT NOW AND THAT'S TAKING SOILS THAT HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED OFF SITE OR COVERING THEM SO THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT ACTUALLY COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THEM ANY LONGER.

SO THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY THEN TO MOVE FORWARD TO OUR VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION WHERE YOU WILL START TO SEE BUILDINGS GOING UP.

THAT'S GOING TO BE AN EXCITING MOMENT WHEN WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE BUILDINGS COMING OUT OF THE GROUND, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE REALLY BELIEVE IN, IS WHEN THEY SEE A BUILDING GOING UP.

THEY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE GETTING