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McMahon Details Plans for New Aquarium and Sports Complex Ryan McMahon’s delivered his 2022 $1.4 Million budget proposal

McMahon Announces $85 Million Aquarium and $25 Million Sports Complex

By Joshua Weinberg

JOSHUA WEINBERG: Onondaga County Executive, Ryan McMahon’s delivered his 2022 budget proposal to the county legislature this morning. The budget will be about 1.4 billion dollars and will include various projects centered around Onondaga lake.
The two main developments include a 85 million dollar aquarium and a 25 million dollar brand new sports complex. Both the aquarium and the sports complex will complement the Amphitheater surrounding the lake.
McMahon envisions Onondaga Lake becoming the a landmark in Central New York.

RYAN MCMAHON:
“Our lakefront region, is quickly becoming the epicenter of recreational and leisure activity for all of central New York.”

WEINBERG: I’m here at the Aloft Hotel, which is right across the lake from the proposed new location of the Syracuse Aquarium. The Aquarium is expected to bring in significant amounts of people within a 200 mile radius.

SHAUN REID: I think people are going to overlook and underestimate the Canadian travel that comes into the US, so 450,000 dollars in revenue and the amount of occupancy tax that it could gain if they stay at the hotel will be positive for us and for the community.

WEINBERG: Reid believes the sports complex will have a larger impact on the local economy than that of the aquarium.

REID: For Hotels, we see the sports group, the youth sports group, and the leisure sports group and how much money that generates, to have one in our backyard, not in Cicero or Lysander, that can only help as well.

WEINBERG: McMahon says the 80,000 square foot aquarium will bring in 450,000 visitors per year and generate 50 million dollars in additional sales tax revenue for the county. Josh Weinberg NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon delivered his 2022 budget proposal to the county legislature on Tuesday. The budget will be about $1.4 billion and will include various projects centered around Onondaga Lake. McMahon hopes the projects will grow county sales tax revenue and lower property taxes for all residents.

The two main developments are an $85 million aquarium and a $25 million brand new sports complex. Both projects will complement the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater surrounding the lake.

McMahon said Onondaga Lake will become the landmark in Central New York.

“Our lakefront region is quickly becoming the epicenter of recreational and leisure activity for all of central New York,” he said. 

McMahon projected that these projects will benefit the community. He said that the Aquarium is expected to bring in 450,000 people per year within a 200-mile radius, generating over $50 million in sales tax revenue annually for the county.

McMahon also said that the projects will have a positive impact on the hotel industry. Shaun Reid, general manager at the Aloft Hotel at Inner Harbor, expressed his optimism towards the plan and how it might impact his business.

“I think people are going to overlook and underestimate the Canadian travel that comes into the US, so 450,000 dollars in revenue and the amount of occupancy tax that it could gain if they stay at the hotel will be positive for us and for the community,” Reid said.

Reid said the sports complex will have a larger economic impact than the aquarium.

“For hotels, we see the sports group, the youth sports group, and the leisure sports group and how much money that generates, to have one in our backyard, not in Cicero or Lysander, that can only help as well,” Reid said.

McMahon said one main county goal is to give support to those in poverty and with mental health issues. He said the county will use the sales tax revenue generated from the aquarium and sports complex to fund these projects.

Additionally, McMahon promised that as sales tax revenue increases, all Onondaga citizens will see their property taxes be cut.

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