Monday, April 28, 2008

Destiny USA: The Future of The Syracuse Area!

"It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, than the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones." Machiavelli

It isn't often in business that an entrepreneur sets out both to enrich themselves and the world in which they live in. Many businesses operate on the principle of being mean and lean looking out only for their own interests. Bob Congel is an exception to this rule. It has been advertised that Congel was seeking “a project in the City of Syracuse that could be a catalyst for economic and environmental development of an entire community.” Being a local resident born and raised in the Syracuse area it makes sense that Congel wants to “Build a Better Community by Investing in Syracuse” as stated by a number of signs located in Carousel Center.

Since Bob Congel began investing in the Syracuse area back in the mid-eighties he has worked on ten individual projects to improve the Syracuse area. The majority of these projects are located on a 800 acre plot of land just south of Onondaga lake (Foderaro, 1990). Before Congel began cleaning up this 800 acre plot of land it was a toxic wasteland. The site contained oil tanks, scrap yards, toxic dump sites and corroding buildings, all of which were polluting the already uninhabitable Onondaga Lake.

The first and most noticeable of these project is the cleaning up of the Marley Scrap Yard, the site where Carousel Center is currently located. Second the removal of “Oil City” a site of which several pollutant heavy oil tanks were located and many millions of dollars spent towards the cleaning of the soil at these sites. Third the re-development of the Plum Court area of Syracuse. Fourth the development of Franklin Square from dilapidated eroding abandoned brick buildings into upscale lofts and condominiums. Next was the construction of the Franklin Park near Franklin Square. Sixth is a project labeled “The Creekwalk” a two-hundred thousand dollar investment in the walkways around the inner harbor area. Seventh is Bridgewater place, another eroding brick building which was converted into leasable commercial office space. The Clinton Exchange which is located in the center of Syracuse. The Clinton Exchange itself used to be the old post office in Syracuse until it was abandoned because of the high cost of renovation. The Pyramid Companies adopted the project of renewing the building to be the location of their headquarters. The ninth project that The Pyramid Companies did in the Syracuse area is the re-development of Mission Landing the location of the The Rescue Mission for the Syracuse area. The final project which they have worked on is the re-development of the OM Edwards building.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Mall of America vs. DestiNY USA







The Mall of America was opened on August 11, 1992. It is a mega-mall with four anchor stores, 350 boutiques, seven-acre amusement park, movie theaters, and restaurants. Recently, developers have decided to expand the mall. Phase II of this expanision has already begun. Phase II will have premier hotels on site, an office complex/business center, recreational/fitness/spa facilities, a performing arts center and a water park, just to name a few. According to developers, Phase II will create 7,000 construction jobs, and 7,000 permanent jobs. That will be an addition to the 98,000 jobs that already exist (13,000 which come from MOA alone). The expansion of the mall is supposed to bring economic growth to Minnesota. Not only that but the new expansion is supposed to be built with environmentally responsible desing elements in mind (sounds familiar?).




So how did the Mall of America affect Minnesota? Well some non-mall restaurants complain of low business and after 9/11 many employees in the mall were afraid to work because they thought that MOA would become the next target in an terrorist attack, because of the amount of tourists that flock to Minnesota each year. So, does this explain the population decrease? Perhaps it does. In 1990, the population of Minnesota was 86,355, in 1998 it rose to 88,375, but in 2005, the population decreased to about 84, 347. What a drop in numbers. Why has the population decreased? Some say it could be due to the increase in crime within in the community since the mall opened due to the high number of tourists who visit.






So why talk about the Mall of America? DestiNY USA will be totally different, right? Right, however, if we can analyze and observe the effects the MOA has had on the Bloomington community, we can possibly predict how Destiny will affect Syracuse. Just looking out for our destiny and somehow predict our fate if this "city within a city" will be built.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Saving our planet by becoming Green


There are many things people use which are causing harm towards our planet. Many of these products are used every day by millions of people in large increments. Most of these harmful substances have caused an increase in global warming and most of them are also sources being used in America. Since America is known to be a rich country, many feel it is ok to consume as much as they want; as long as they are able to. Although America's society is formed this way, they do not realize how much their consumption and waste has caused destruction towards our planet and it also jeopardizes our lives. In the past few years, there have been reports about global warming; but many people did not pay close attention to it. Since it is hard to ignore the signs of global warming now, more people are now trying to create ways to save our planet.
There are many sources we used that have caused global warming such as fossil fuels. These different types of energy increases global warming by interfering with the function of greenhouse gases. There are few greenhouse gases which are, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and also fluorinated gases (there are a stem branch of fluorinated gases). According to the Union of concerned Scientists, fossil fuels are accountable for more than ninety percent of America's electricity (2007 p. 2). There are different types of fossil fuels; one example is coal, and it is explained how coal burning is the leading cause of acid rain, and one of the largest sources of global warming emissions (p 2). In regards to oil, a large amount of nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide is produced from it which is a green house gas that can come from products after being disposed. Most of the things that people purchase are manmade, which means they are not recyclable. When it is time to dispose these products, they are usually burned, which turns into the carbon dioxide gas. Once these materials are burned, the carbon dioxide rises into the atmosphere causing an imbalance of the greenhouse gases. Natural gas is another type of fossil fuel, but one difference between this source and others is that it is cleaner, but UCS explains how it also produces global warming emissions (p 3). There are so many things we do in our daily lives which increases global warming.

Although there is not a perfect solution to this problem, changing some of our actions can be a start to saving the planet. One person who has taken the stand to make a difference is Robert Congel. Congel's idea of helping to save earth is by creating a mega mall with the theme “going green”. This project is going to be an additional part of the mall carousel which is going to take up one-hundred acres. The name of this project is Destiny USA; what makes it green and also different from other designs is that Congel is trying to help limit the use of fossil fuel by only using renewable - energy such as the sun, wind, and plants. According to Amanda G. Little, author of NY megamall aims to run on clean energy, Destiny USA is going to consume a minimum of thirty-two mega watts of solar electricity (2005 p 1). UCS explains how solar power captures the heat and light of the sun to generate electricity. Little also explains how this project will consume one hundred-twenty mega watts of biodiesel and biomass combined. Bio-energy is positively affective because its energy comes from trees and plants. Last but not least is wind power which will be consumed by forty-four mega watts. This energy converts the power available in moving air into electricity (p 1). Amanda G. Little explains how Robert Congel believes this change will attract people from different parts of the world and it will also be a model that can direct people towards becoming green.

Although Destiny USA is making a step towards saving our planet, there seems to be contradictions within the project. Many may believe Destiny USA is an example of green washing because, they are using the theme “going green” as a way to manipulate people into visiting the mall and increase their chances of spending money.One contradiction that is noticeable is the design itself which is a mall. When I think about a mall, the first thing that comes to my mind is consumerism. When people are at the mall, many times they will buy things they really do not need, and usually these items will end up in a pile with other unusable items which will eventually get thrown away. I really do not find anything green about consumption and waste. As of today, Carousel Center consists of over 150 stores and mini shops. When Destiny USA is complete, there will be hundreds of hotel rooms, more restaurants and three times as many stores. This shows that once there are more places created, the percentage of people consuming will increase and the amount of stuff that will be thrown away increases also. Another issue that contradicts Destiny’s 100% renewable energy use is transportation. When tourist come from all around the world to visit Destiny USA, they have to find a way to get there, and I doubt they are going to use renewable energy such as wind power to blow them there. Most likely people are going to use planes, buses and cars to get to this destination, which consist of fossil fuels. Within this project, there is going to be a park that represents 365 days of spring. Who would have ever believed Syracuse out of all places could have 365 days of spring. A concern I have about this park refers to the people that live in Syracuse. Taking winter away would change the way people view Syracuse. Another concern I have deals with changing mother nature. Why are we trying to change mother nature? I thought that was the reason why we are in the predicament we are in now (global warming). Although it may make people feel better since they do not have to worry about being cold; but it will ony add more worries about our planet.
Little, A. G., (2005, June, 10). N.Y. megamall aims to run on clean energy. Grist Magazine. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from http://www.msnbc.msncom/id/8048486/page/2/print/1/displaymode/1098/
Union of concerned scientists. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/

Monday, April 21, 2008

Private Space of Destiny

“DestiNY USA is a place where…you can have your own voice… you can create your own destiny.” (DestiNY website) The idea of having your own voice inside the private space of DestiNY is more than questionable. Private spaces are those that are owned by a single person or group of investors. The owner has sole control over the establishment, and the government is nonexistent. Malls are one of the most common forms of public space, and are described as the replacement of the town square (Levine, 1). The appeal of a Mall seems to be it’s convenience. What used to be department stores, are now mega malls. The Mall of America is a great example of the all encompassing mall with theme parks, dining, concerts, and tons of shopping. In a world where we are often confined to private spaces, the mall offers a private space for leisure time. We move from the private space of our car, to that of our job. DestiNY USA is boasted as the first “retail city”, and is the ultimate private space. The official DestiNY USA website proudly attributes convenience to the fact that this “retail city” will have a single owner. However, with its unprecedented size, and a dying city still standing next to it, I wonder if Syracuse will be able to compete with DestiNY USA. Further, there will be an enormous amount of people spending time and money in the mega-mall, without their first amendment rights.

In the 1970’s, congress ruled that “privately owned shopping malls could not qualify as a public forums under the First Amendment” (Askin, 1). These spaces void of basic rights allow the malls to control which retailers are exposed to the citizens. Also, in a mega-mall like DestiNY, there will be solely retail chains leaving no storefronts for local business. This stems from the competition involved, and the money hungry owner of the mall. The website says it will offer the “best brands”, but who will choose what the best brands are? Well the answer is Bob Congel. Chain stores have the bankroll to pay top dollar to be featured in the first green city. Local diner “Stella’s” owns their catchphrase “Try it, you’ll like it!”. They mean it too. They offer great food and great prices, but dont have a fighting chance against a Pizzeria Uno inside DestiNY. If local business is not inside Destiny , it will not have the same exposure and will run the risk of shutting down. Further, without a strong presence of local business there will be little reason for entrepreneurs and hopeful local business owners to stay in the city. Adversely, the Syracuse population will be faced with low paying mall jobs, and spend every day in a private space. The amount of jobs within the establishment will mean that a large number of Syracuse citizens working, eating, and relaxing inside the “retail city”.


Shopping malls have the power to prevent people from handing out pamphlets, books, and other media. Also, they often have a standard of rowdiness, dress code, and sometimes age. The Carousel mall instated a curfew in 2003 stating that minors were not allowed in the mall after 4pm on Friday and Saturday nights. The curfew prohibits any person under the age of 18 to go shopping, because there were complaints regarding rowdy teenagers. Carousel Mall’s general manager Rob Shoeneck justifies the curfew by saying that “ The teens would tend to get loud” (Shenk, 1) He then continued to point out their disruptive behavior. Another important issue surrounding the curfew is the rejection of young teens, and the accommodation of adults. Clearly, the adults have more money than sixteen year old with part time jobs, and the mall did not hesitate to appeal to the client with the most money. The curfew has actually improved business because parents are forced to go shopping with their kids, and usually end up buying their stuff (Shenk, 3) The curfew is a great example of the control an owner has, and brings up new issues with DestiNY USA. If Syracuse citizens are filing the mall jobs, and making poor money, and the tourists come with full wallets to shop the night away, will the Syracuse citizens be deemed unimportant. The Carousel Mall’s curfew illustrates the idea that a company will appeal to those with the most money. If tourist have the most money, the motives of the company may not be to better Syracuse, but to better profit. The displaced teens in the curfew issue is most important because it forces teens, and even some SU freshman to do something else with their day.


“Defending the Freedom to Be Heard: Where Alternate Avenues Intersect Empty Public Spaces”
University of Memphis Law Review, The, Winter 2006 by Levine, Jason K

“Free Speech, Private Space and the Constitution”
FRANK ASKIN
Rutgers University School of Law
Rutgers Law Journal, Vol. 19, No. 4, 1999

“Carousel Center policy says Friday and Saturday night shoppers must be 18 plus”
Julia Shenk Issue date: 9/12/03 Section: Feature

Destiny USA : Construction aspect



By Justin Tindley

Destiny USA is held in theory to be the most sustainable projects in the world.

It will invoke environmentally conscious thought while saving energy and releasing a dependence on fossil fuel. That may happen if it every gets erected. After almost a decade of talking about the project in the news and a constant battle to get it approved by the city, Bob Congel seems to be getting the ball rolling with the actual development of this city, I mean complex. Okay let’s face it the truth is that Congel is basically creating a city within a city. Rome wasn’t built in a day but it was probably started on that day, Destiny USA seems as though it may take a lifetime. Though there is some progress that has been made very recently there is still not much physical evidence to show for it. The site is still not where it was said to be before. What eco-conscious people want to know is what is happening with the claims of eco-friendly construction and whether the claims of it happening are being held up. Sustainability comes into question because it is a major factor in this project. Where the funding coming from for this is because this is a massive project Congel and Pyramid Co. are creating a city within the city of Syracuse. Time is an odd factor in the project also because a lot of time has been spent just trying to get everyone on board for it. There also a time constrained on a lot of the construction so Congel’s construction crew really needs to get moving. Destiny USA is a project that will overall do more harm than good with the idea of construction and the setbacks that have come up, Bob Congel’s dream doesn’t look like a reality.

The sustainability of this project is probably one of the most important aspects of the project because it is the number one selling point to America. Ideas about construction that are proposed are sustainability & eco-friendly ideas. Fossil fuel free work site. Machines that would normally take fuel will be given Bio-deisel a better alternative. Solar panels will be used to conserve energy.

“‘With the Destiny USA project, we will stop talking about our dependence on fossil fuels and instead demonstrate how we can earn our independence,’ said Robert J. Congel, founder of Destiny USA. ‘This project will prove the viability of using 100 percent biofuel in all types equipment, and will educate and challenge other developers in New York and around the country to adopt similar environmentally friendly approaches.’” (National Biodiesel Board).

Destiny USA, assuming that it will be constructed will set a standard for sustainable living and building. Pyramid Co. released that the Destiny project will be done in three phases. The first phase being an 800,000+ square foot expansion of Carousel mall. Next phase would be the construction of the 13,000+ room hotel. The third phase would be the actual expansion of the Carousel mall. A 300,000+ square foot leasable retail space. As of April 2008 there isn’t much of phase two that is done, if we can even call it phase two. It must be something about this phase that has the stamp “may not happen any time soon on it” because it has been off an on for a few years. On the Destiny USA website there is a link to a Destiny USA press release, which says that the company was moving forward with phase II.

“In a presentation today to the United States Green Building Council annual conference, Destiny USA founder and chairman Robert J. Congel introduced the initial design of a 1,300+ hotel and conference facility that will be the next phase of the Destiny USA project in Syracuse, New York. The hotel is designed to LEED Platinum standards, serving as a showcase for sustainability and environmentally stewardship and a global destination” (Destiny USA).

This was released November 8, 2007 and by what is done on the site now not much has been going on. So what is the hold up? Maybe they need worker since they don’t have many.

“Forty-five Destiny USA workers who got back on the job last year after a one-year layoff lost their jobs again Monday. Destiny laid them off Monday morning, citing financing delays for the second phase of the big retail, hotel and entertainment center planned by developer Robert Congel” (Moriarty). Well this is a bit backwards, shouldn’t there be people working on the next phase especially when Destiny USA wanted to push Phase II to be done while Phase I is occurring.

The Destiny project may be hitting the headlines in the news but, the buzz has started to fade. The construction was supposed to have been started. Congel has just gotten the okay to start phase 2 but has time restrains, and with the news about workers on site being laid off its looks as though maybe this still is an idea instead of a reality. Congel must have 1,000 rooms in the Grand Destiny Hotel by February 1, 2012. Not a lot of time for a site that doesn’t have a lot of workers on it. Funding is also hard to come by. This is a multi-billion dollar project. Who wants to give money to a project that doesn’t have any thing to show for it but a groundbreaking ceremony and steel beams in the ground? Funding is also major concern because the project is reactionary. If Phase 2 is well there will be a better chance there will be money for phase 3.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Biodiesel: Cleaner than the average deisel

McCool here with an an article that is going to clean up. If your in Syracuse and you didn't know about this little project called DestiNY USA, you have been under a rock. One thing that makes this project so special is the idea that the project is completely green. Bob Congel wants to even construct the project greenly. That is saying a lot because construction can be very hazardous to the environment. Well when you have Biodeisel to the rescue, because it doesn't do as much damage to the Earth as normal deisel does. In in article from the NBB (National Biodeisel Board), there used the Destiny project as a catapult to the idea of biodeisel to the rest of the country. Here is the link to the article see for yourself. http://biodiesel.org/resources/pressreleases/gen/20070619_construction%2007nrshortversion.pdf