[{"_1":2,"_89":-5,"_90":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,82],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6701144,"mediaKeyId","3638147-1efc56fe78577356f864e83f81b9b259","parentId",3638147,"title","Syracuse parks staff seek $500,000 for design work on proposed city dog shelter at White Oaks Park","audioSeconds",2191,"startMs",381000,"endMs",2572000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3638147-1efc56fe78577356f864e83f81b9b259&start=381&end=2572","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3638147-1efc56fe78577356f864e83f81b9b259/thumbnail_381000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6701144/Syracuse-City/Onondaga-County/New-York/Syracuse-parks-staff-seek-500000-for-design-work-on-proposed-city-dog-shelter-at-White-Oaks-Park","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6701144-0fbbc9ca5fef75a1f1a4e3f39215a5fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146345&Signature=Jj3QA0fNQH9fDIXCtZfBYZMYYIeWeYL-gEP430Wa5YvQHjPHtZWJ6zPx7onTz8Q3z7AwokEAwCz03zTQasXAmrFL2qW4o7STMpXp4VtegYZ5AJ3CyBWqBUH61Wc6~6U7dKHPzNu8gKXq7TnIeCrIVp5W3tcQBcOZXp8ZSKnyNcmDQJC4DQ4M8B-JKRUdvCw1Z9hmHU~8btoohmMotUpmdeO1lyZ8jMAS18T9hBdWyAnqOZhsbM3iTf60dQtVf36gAGM4HV4GgfKybZKk0YlfsVIR6~OSvIgAxk2IPds4wz8ZoqiMyCt9Vo~c-YF3Me~m85XEN2UqdDMHq8L0BfGA9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Syracuse, NY","date","2025-05-27T23:53:45Z","article","Syracuse City parks staff and councillors discussed plans to build a larger municipal dog shelter on the White Oaks Park campus and requested $500,000 in bonding to pay for site investigations and design work, officials said at a Parks Department meeting.

\"So, currently, as you all know, we partner with a dog shelter in Jamesville. And so the goal for the city or for parks is to build a larger shelter to house more dogs because as we know, stray dogs currently is a is a huge problem in our community,\" said Rashida Caldwell, chair of parks, opening the discussion.

Parks architect Josh Wilcox told the group the department has preliminarily estimated construction at roughly $300 to $350 per square foot and has scaled an earlier, larger concept down. \"We were looking at a 10,000 square foot building, but we've scaled that back a little bit. We don't need 80 kennels. We could start low at, like, a 40 kennel, 40 kennels to 60 or so and just keep scaling it from there,\" Wilcox said. He said the department is asking the council to bond $500,000 largely to pay for site investigation and design; any unused design funds would be applied to construction.

Why it matters

City staff and outside consultants said a new facility is needed in part because state regulatory changes require municipalities to have access to sheltering capacity (referenced in discussion as \"Article 7\" of state law). Officials said the city currently contracts with a partner shelter in Jamesville and uses an additional contracted bunkhouse; existing municipal kennel space at the Second Chance facility is 10 indoor kennels with runs.

What officials said and proposed

- The parks campus at White Oaks was presented as the primary option because other privately owned or residential-adjacent parcels generated limited market interest. Wilcox said earlier searches over about four years looked at private and public properties but returned few viable, nonresidential sites.

- Cost and scale: Wilcox gave a preliminary build-cost range of about $300–$350 per square foot and said the department initially modeled a 10,000-square-foot building. The department has narrowed the program and gave an illustrative target of 40–60 kennels, with the Jamesville partner facility previously built at about $350,000–$375,000 for a small (roughly 16-kennel) unit. Wilcox said a larger new build could be in the neighborhood of $2.5 million or more, depending on scope.

- Design and site work: Parks staff said geotechnical and other site testing are needed before design. Wilcox estimated site-investigation costs could start as low as $20,000 and range up to $200,000 depending on scope; other comparable park investigations and pool contracts, he said, have reached $100,000–$200,000.

- Current capacity and operations: Parks staff said the city’s municipal kennel capacity at Second Chance is 10 indoor kennels with outdoor runs (the facility had been configured for 16 kennels previously). The city also pays for contracted space at an off-site \"bunkhouse,\" which provides roughly 30–35 additional spaces through the contract. Adoption and turnover rates vary by animal; staff said most dogs that went through municipal care since November have been adopted, but adoption rates have declined regionally, increasing shelter occupancy.

Community, site and program concerns

Several councilors and staff raised concerns about placing a shelter near nodes of future development. One councillor said the area near Progress Park and the Inner Harbor is likely to see significant residential and commercial growth and urged a comprehensive plan for the larger block before committing to a permanent shelter location. \"That part of town will probably see more development than any other part of town in the coming years,\" a councilor said, adding that developers might seek leases or that the city could want to preserve parkland for other public uses.

Matt O'J, Commissioner of Assessment, described an Erie Boulevard West site the city considered as likely contaminated and costly to acquire. \"Between the acquisition cost, you know, 7 figures, and the likely history of the property, just didn't think it was wise to get into a property like that,\" he said.

Consultant Stephanie Heath, who said she has worked with municipal and municipal-adjacent shelters and with nonprofits, urged the group to treat the project as both a facility and a community program. \"When you have a space, a community space, you think, what can I do with this community space?\" Heath said, listing vocational programming, humane education and partnerships with parks and youth organizations as potential benefits. Heath also noted a recent state budget allocation she described as about $10 million for shelter capital funding that municipalities could pursue once a local project is moving.

Design and aesthetic expectations

AJ, the city architect in parks, said the department will aim for a building that fits the neighborhood and the larger parks campus and pledged that the design will be intentional: \"We're not gonna have some concrete brutalist moment. It's gonna look like something that belongs in a city that serves the public,\" he said.

Next steps and information requests

Councilors asked staff to produce basic location maps showing the Spencer Street and Kirkpatrick Street options on the White Oaks campus, circulate the state \"Article 7\" guidance summarized in a presentation, and share the city's contract with Second Chance so councillors can review operational arrangements and costs. Parks staff said they will solicit location- and site-specific studies through a consultant RFP and that further meetings will follow.

No formal motion or vote on bonding was recorded during the discussion. Staff characterized the $500,000 ask as a request to fund site investigation, design work and preliminary planning; councilors requested more detail and maps before a final funding decision.

Ending

Parks staff said they will circulate the presentation on state standards, location maps for the White Oaks options and the Second Chance contract, and schedule a follow-up meeting to present site-study options and estimated budgets.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Syracuse City parks officials and consultants discussed a plan to build a larger municipal dog shelter at the White Oaks Parks campus, asked for $500,000 in bonding for site studies and design, and outlined capacity, cost and program goals while noting state rules and neighborhood-development concerns.","taxTitle","Syracuse City, Onondaga County, New York","taxId",3762,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":78,"_53":79,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":80,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":81,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6697023,"Syracuse Parks Committee seeks $500,000 for design work on proposed White Oaks dog shelter","/articles/6697023/Syracuse-City/Onondaga-County/New-York/Syracuse-Parks-Committee-seeks-500000-for-design-work-on-proposed-White-Oaks-dog-shelter","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697023-4249a01d91636de5a363b4dfdefc25ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146345&Signature=nfqAY05fqmfZvOyHsKHijh99GOpX4sKV7yyLVR9iTLt6Zoq1RGd2jZTyzhqCNahNaGbkIO~h2iFwxDOmF4BJzkWlGsC~jy-o8oLRobIUyXGwxq8qNCOKLKiv5mgs9XuvWLYBhWrH~Zf3TM3YazNtR09xU0YUb6Q8a-jpSYCPWdb-pyLhuQh~yefDFSI2GbgTfJ2avHKGkuq4qOIxgTk5OQLtSvAT88kKXk-qR0CFgLxmG~xGzy9Ff~M6peZboRdp4Xj4AEK9HIApEtLMik~U2-sAgx~g-vjMAtlTHpCbpDA3m0UyjtS0G5SJ5XPo4xfoFJSP953-izKKG0BxHoiTqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Syracuse City Parks officials on Tuesday asked councilors to back bonding for up to $500,000 to fund site investigations, design work and early planning for a new municipal dog shelter on the White Oaks Parks campus, while emphasizing the need for a comprehensive plan before construction.

The request, presented during a Parks Committee meeting chaired by Councilor Rashida Caldwell, would fund geotechnical testing, architectural design and site analysis for locations on the parks campus and other city-owned properties; Parks staff said unused design funds would be applied to construction if the project proceeds. “So we're asking for 500,” Josh Wilcox said, summarizing the current request.

The committee heard cost and program estimates from Parks staff and outside consultants and discussed program design, staffing, neighborhood impacts and legal and funding constraints. Parks staff told the committee they had preliminarily estimated construction at roughly $300 to $350 per square foot and had initially considered a 10,000-square-foot building but had scaled that back. Staff proposed starting with a facility sized for roughly 40 to 60 kennels and said they could scale capacity later.

Why it matters: New state standards referred to as “Article 7” require Syracuse to ensure an available facility or contracted service for stray animals. Parks and animal-welfare consultants said the city’s current arrangement — a small municipal shelter and a separate contracted “bunkhouse” partner — does not meet long-term demand and that adoptions have slowed, increasing the number of stray animals in the community.

Key details and debate

- Goals and scope: Councilor Rashida Caldwell opened the discussion by identifying the objective: replace or supplement the city's current partnership with a Jamesville shelter and build a larger facility on city property so the city can meet state regulatory expectations and better manage stray and impounded dogs. “...we are here to talk about the dog shelter in the city of Syracuse,” Caldwell said at the start of the meeting.

- Cost estimates and sizing: Parks staff said preliminary per-square-foot construction estimates were about $300–$350 and that the department had initially examined a 10,000-square-foot design but planned smaller first-phase options. Josh Wilcox said design and site work budgets could run from “$20,000 and go up to $200,000” depending on scope; Parks staff later described a broader request that totals $500,000 for the Parks Campus planning and related work. The Jamesville shelter cited as a partial precedent cost roughly $350,000–$375,000 to build a 16-kennel unit.

- Existing capacity and partners: Parks staff said current municipal kennel capacity is approximately 10 indoor runs with fenced outdoor runs; the city also pays for a contracted partner (referred to in the meeting as the “bunkhouse” operated by Maria Cassella) that can shelter about 30–35 animals under contract. Staff said the city pays for staffing at the municipal shelter and contributes to the contracted partner’s capacity.

- Program design, adoptions and operations: Consultant Stephanie Heath (Humane World for Animals) told the committee that shelter facility components are standard — kennels, medical suite, offices and community/adoption space — and urged planning for program elements (adoption promotion, foster programs, vocational and youth programming) alongside facilities. “We're not reinventing any wheel on that part,” Heath said. She also noted state capital funding opportunities and reported that the state budget included $10 million for shelter capital programs this year for facilities already in motion.

- Neighborhood and parkland concerns: Several councilors and committee members stressed that White Oaks Park and adjacent parcels have development potential and community value. Some members voiced concern about siting a shelter near future development in the Inner Harbor/Progress Park corridor and said any plan must protect green space. Parks staff said the Parks Campus is roughly 9 acres; the back parking lot was described as about 0.58 acres and the Spencer Street green space about 0.44 acres. Staff said the funding would support evaluation of multiple campus locations (Spencer Street side vs. Kirkpatrick Street side) and that reorganizing existing parking could create additional buildable area.

- Regulatory constraints and next steps: City Architect AJ noted that recent changes in state legislation require municipalities to have a facility or contracted service to accept stray animals and urged the city not to delay site work while long-range redevelopment discussions continue. Heath said the changes to Article 7 do not automatically require more kennels and that municipalities retain discretion on how to meet the standard; she pledged to circulate a plain-language summary of the new standards to committee members.

- Community engagement and design: Councilors requested location maps and visual materials that show specific candidate sites on the Parks Campus so the public can evaluate options. Committee members also asked Parks to provide the city’s contract(s) with the current partner (“Second Chance”/bunkhouse) and to circulate site drawings or maps before further bonding action.

What was not decided

The committee did not take a formal vote on bonding or on a final site. The $500,000 figure was discussed as the requested bonding amount for Parks Campus planning and related improvements, but committee members asked for additional planning deliverables, cost breakdowns and program details before any bonding ordinance is drafted or presented to the full council.

Quotes from participants

- Councilor Rashida Caldwell, Chair, Parks Committee: “Everyone, thank you for joining us today on this beautiful, glorious, warm day. … we are here to talk about the dog shelter.”

- Josh Wilcox, Parks staff: “So we're asking for 500.”

- Stephanie Heath, consultant (Humane World for Animals): “We're not reinventing any wheel on that part.”

Next steps and follow-up requested by the committee

Parks staff said they will circulate location maps (Spencer Street vs. Kirkpatrick Street), provide the current Second Chance/bunkhouse contract for committee review and assemble clearer scope and cost estimates for site-testing and design phases. Staff and consultants indicated they will pursue available state capital funding once a municipal plan is underway. The committee scheduled follow-up work and said it would hold further meetings to evaluate site study results; no implementation timeline was set during this session.

Ending

Committee members emphasized balancing a community-oriented shelter program with protection of parkland and future neighborhood development. Parks staff left the meeting with direction to produce site maps, a concise summary of the new Article 7 standards and a detailed scope and cost estimate for the requested design and site investigations.","Syracuse City Parks officials asked councilors to support bonding for up to $500,000 to study and design a larger municipal dog shelter and related campus work at White Oaks Park after identifying space and regulatory needs; no formal vote was taken.",{"_33":83,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":84,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":85,"_53":86,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":87,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":88,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6695079,"Syracuse officials seek $500,000 to study new dog shelter at White Oaks Park campus","/articles/6695079/Syracuse-City/Onondaga-County/New-York/Syracuse-officials-seek-500000-to-study-new-dog-shelter-at-White-Oaks-Park-campus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6695079-d0c4b3d8ce91fa102ba29587412d8fa6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146345&Signature=MZBClkCxXAIGXp0GoT9YIXyLv67U-mHlTcSvfQHdgbEa-wTP~2FRgx0bGkSS8t8WE4jvxGJhGphYWN0jFZ2VgR4hu~1~91IYX0QbyYPSEwfEABHGqqZF8AyOTZSKSx0sB6qHbPSwcz1DGGrKzG7pYq0vT9hzIHmXp7uZw5X1BghEaDBvLC-UlCOOOPc~90rwog4OfUogrb-cr8gvLonur6lTBTOTo6-vaWdJ~um9W3SiWm4D1V6FqZSDZA-brW21PbtsRNKeOoFc54s87Vqi77mmjyvaGilMwFiwfRhQYV5DZz5Gwx7obHP-pAbfgE109k38xgcfqFRKOizhaosqNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Syracuse City parks officials and council members discussed plans to build a larger municipal dog shelter on the White Oaks Park campus and asked the City Council to consider a $500,000 bonding request to fund site studies and design work, officials said.

The effort aims to bring Syracuse into compliance with state requirements for municipal sheltering (referred to in the meeting as “Article 7”) and to expand the city’s capacity to handle a growing stray-dog problem. Parks Chair Rashida Caldwell said the department has hunted for suitable properties for four years and is proposing redeveloping the White Oaks Park “campus” on Spencer Street so a shelter would be co-located with a visitor/welcome center and trail access.

Parks project manager Josh Wilcox said preliminary cost metrics place construction at roughly $300 to $350 per square foot based on examples from other municipalities; the department had considered a roughly 10,000-square-foot building but has scaled that back and is planning for an initial facility sized for about 40 to 60 kennels. Wilcox said site and design work, including geotechnical testing, will determine final scope and cost and estimated site‑investigation and design work could run from about $20,000 up to $200,000 depending on scope. He added that a small municipal shelter built in Jamesville cost about $350,000–$375,000 for a 16-kennel unit and that a larger build could be “anywhere from $2,500,000 on down,” according to his remarks.

Stephanie Heath, a consultant who said she works with municipal and nonprofit shelters, told the group that facility components are standard — “kennels, community space, offices, [a] medical suite” — and stressed program elements such as adoption, foster and vocational partnerships that can reduce kennel demand. “We’re not reinventing any wheel on that part,” Heath said, and noted the city could pursue state capital funds allocated this year for shelters once the municipal project is under way.

Officials discussed several site options on the White Oaks campus. Parks staff reported the campus totals about nine acres, with the back parking lot roughly 0.58 acres and a Spencer Street green-space site of about 0.44 acres; staff said reconfiguring parking and adjacent surfaces could create more usable area. Council members and commissioners expressed concern about siting the shelter on high-value parkland near expected redevelopment, including the nearby Progress Park area and the Empire Trail, and sought assurances the facility would be designed to be attractive and integrated into park programming rather than a purely utilitarian structure.

Matt OJ, Commissioner of Assessment, described prior searches for private properties (including a former automotive facility on Erie Boulevard West) and said contamination and acquisition costs made those sites impractical. AJ, the city architect for Parks, said legislation has changed and that the city must act rather than wait on longer-term redevelopment: “We have to adapt to that. We can’t wait on the shelter to see if there’s a restaurant or a parking garage or anything like that. We need to move forward, unfortunately.” AJ also pledged design oversight to ensure the building “looks like something that belongs in a city that serves the public.”

Staff and councilors discussed current shelter capacity and operations. Parks staff reported the city’s partner facility (Second Chance) provides about 10 kennel spaces with runs at the municipal contract location; the city also pays for contracted overflow shelter capacity at a separate “bunkhouse” run by Maria Cassella that can house roughly 30–35 animals. Officials said the partner organization receives adoption fees while the city collects licensing fees.

Speakers emphasized the project should include programming — humane education, vocational training, volunteer opportunities and adoption services — to speed placements and reduce long-term kennel stays. Heath said national adoption rates have fallen since the pandemic and that municipal shelters are experiencing slower turnover, which contributes to visible stray animals in the community.

No formal vote or budget authorization was recorded during the discussion. Councilors asked Parks staff to prepare a comprehensive plan and to circulate site maps showing the Spencer Street and Kirkpatrick Street options; staff said they would return with more detailed site-investigation proposals and budgets. Heath said she would email a concise presentation on the new state standards cited as “Article 7.”

Council Chair Rashida Caldwell closed the meeting by thanking participants and saying the group will hold follow-up meetings to continue planning; there was no formal approval of bonding or a final site choice during this session.","Syracuse parks staff and councilors discussed locating a larger municipal dog shelter on the White Oaks Park campus, requesting a $500,000 bonding authorization to fund site investigations and design work to meet state standards and address stray-dog concerns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Syracuse parks staff seek $500,000 for design work on proposed city dog shelter at White Oaks Park

Syracuse Parks Committee seeks $500,000 for design work on proposed White Oaks dog shelter

Syracuse officials seek $500,000 to study new dog shelter at White Oaks Park campus