who we serve
Our Community – the New 15th Ward
The community we serve is located in the heart of Syracuse. It’s home to generations of hard-working families, many small businesses, schools, community centers, and more. A couple things we’re especially proud of:
Neighborhood Navigators Program
Resident Power Building & Engagement
The neighborhood boundary
Our neighborhood is located on the South Side of Syracuse, historically referred to as the 15th Ward. Our footprint includes Pioneer Homes, Mckinney Manor, Central Village Almus Olver Towers, as well as single and multi-family homes. The neighborhood boundary is I-81 to the east, East Colvin St. to the south, South Salina St. to the west, and East Adams St. to the north.
The neighborhood sits at the
crossroads of business and residential developments in the downtown area, STEAM @ Dr. King Elementary School and large institutions such as Syracuse University, Upstate Medical University, and
various hospitals.
Past, present, and future
History of the neighborhood
As Syracuse’s African-American population increased during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, widespread discrimination led to an almost exclusive concentration of African-Americans in the areas immediately east and south of downtown. By 1950, almost 90% of African-Americans in Syracuse lived in the 15th Ward.
After the completion of an elevated highway running through the heart of the neighborhood, three-quarters of its residents were displaced. Over the past 20 years, the 15th Ward has seen a wave of immigrants from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa.
Current challenges
Today, the neighborhood faces challenges resulting from a combination of urban renewal mistakes, environmental justice violations, and adverse public policy. A significant portion of the 15th Ward’s housing stock is public housing — some of the oldest in the country —
where most of the neighborhood’s approximately 3,000 residents live below the poverty line.
How Blueprint 15 began
In 2018, City of Syracuse leaders focused on economic and community development were in search of strategies to accelerate progress. They wanted to systematically replicate smaller, promising efforts and, ultimately, to disrupt poverty at scale.
After learning about the Purpose Built model, community leaders invited Purpose Built leadership to visit and assess several Syracuse neighborhoods. The following year,
Blueprint 15 officially joined the Purpose Built Network to quarterback a focused revitalization of the historic 15th Ward neighborhood.
