Every Rust Belt town has them: vacant homes, vacant skyscrapers, vacant storefronts, vacant schools - even vacant churches. They're constant reminders of a time when there was more: more people, more money to invest, more life to flow in and out of the buildings.
So what happens to those empty buildings in their second act? Ryan Morden explores that question through the lens of Syracuse, looking at three different types of vacant properties.
Part I: Empty skyscrapers fill Syracuse skyline
Syracuse's skyline is dominated by skyscrapers, but there's a lot of empty space in those buildings. The buildings and infrastructure of the city were built to a population much larger. In part one of this series we look at what's being done to attract businesses to the empty high rises down town. Read the story.
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wrvo/local-wrvo-964258.mp3
Part II: Syracuse to draw on software to manage vacant houses
As Rust Belt populations decline, the number of vacant houses grows, and managing all of that property can be a challenge for a city like Syracuse. In part two of this series we look at how an upgrade in computer software is changing how city hall plans to manage all the empty houses on its books. Read the story.
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wrvo/local-wrvo-964475.mp3
Part III: Parishioners fight to prevent church from becoming vacant
We've brought you stories about empty high rises and vacant houses in Syracuse. In the final installment of our series examining the evolution of Syracuse's empty buildings, we take a look at different kind of vacant structure: religious buildings. Read the story.
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wrvo/local-wrvo-964711.mp3
