Sarah Klee Hood, left, and John Mannion, right

Maximizing possible positive effects of the viaduct being removed will likely be a top priority for a representative of New York’s 22nd Congressional District. 

Sarah Klee Hood and John Mannion, who are vying in NY-22’s Democratic primary, both believe the Community Grid should replace the viaduct, which was built in the 1960s through a Black neighborhood. The viaduct’s construction led to mass displacement and a concentration of poverty. 

The race to represent the Democratic party concludes June 25, election day. The winner of the race will face Rep. Brandon Williams in November’s general election.

In 2022, Klee Hood voted along with other DeWitt town councilors to sue the New York State Department of Transportation over potential increased traffic DeWitt could see when the viaduct comes down. In a debate hosted by Syracuse.com, Klee Hood said she did not realize at the time that the vote would disrupt the project nor did she understand the lawsuit’s main intent. 

She contended that she later made sure that DeWitt no longer helped fund the lawsuit. 

Central Current asked each candidate about how the federal government could further support the project. 

Central Current: The federal government has helped support the I-81 project so far. How can the federal government further support the project?

Sarah Klee Hood: The federal government has a real opportunity here to re-correct some of the wrongs of the past and restore equity and bring back the base of Syracuse that has eroded over the last decades. 

I have concerns that now the 81 is going down, which it should, I have always supported the Community Grid. How are we getting folks from the south side of Syracuse to the north side and beyond? I want to make sure that we’re looking at this from a comprehensive lens, and that ensures the folks that have been living there for generations, have equitable, safe housing that they will be able to move into. It means that there is adequate mass transportation. The U.S. Department of Transportation is more than adept to provide on-the-job training and skills for anybody who is eligible and qualified to work for those jobs. So it’s really making sure that we have a federal representative that knows our community, that is willing to fight for our community. And it also goes back to ensuring workers are not left behind.

John Mannion: We are going to need new housing at that site. That is, part of the federal housing program, and we need to expedite development there.  

We also need to make sure that from a monitoring standpoint, that the federal government and the state Department of Health are monitoring that… particularly when this viaduct comes down. I continue to engage with the state Department of Transportation and others… to make sure that… the air quality is sound. We need more housing, we need it right away. At the Syracuse public housing location, we should be building right now. They have land to build and, as we are going to displace residents, especially as we’re in the midst of the housing crisis, that’s going to happen very quickly. I don’t see development there and in my past conversations regarding this project, and the displacement of individuals, they should already be building.

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Eddie Velazquez is a Syracuse journalist covering economic justice in the region. He is focused on stories about organized labor, and New York's housing and childhood lead poisoning crises. You can follow...

Anais Mejia is a freelance journalist covering economic justice in the region. She is focused on stories about housing in Syracuse, Interstate 81 and the redevelopment of public housing. Anais is currently...