Community News

     Depending upon whom you ask, you will get diverse and conflicting opinions on where Oswego stands in the growth and resurgence market.

     But if you ask the three men of the newly-formed Oswego Renaissance Association (ORA), they will tell you definitively there are signs of revitalization all around the Port City.
     Formed in January of this year, board members for the ORA include Dr. Paul Stewart, SUNY Oswego professor of psychology and board president; Eric Van Buren, sixth-ward counselor; and Austin Wheelock, of Operation Oswego County.
     These men of ORA do not just see the signs of renewal, they have the vision, initiative and a strategy to keep the momentum advancing in the right direction – forward.
     "The ORA came together following a critical realization: that in order for Oswego to revitalize itself, it is important to stop spending all this time and energy focusing solely on what's broke," Stewart said. "You cannot restore neighborhoods by fixing weaknesses alone – it doesn't work and never has. The ORA's mission is to revitalize Oswego's neighborhoods in a strategic way, based upon building on strengths."
     This is basically a 180 degree turn away from the traditional approach of fixing weaknesses, he pointed out.
     "This means starting revitalization work in areas where there is some neighborhood strength already apparent, despite some weaknesses," Stewart said. "These are typically places where property owners are doing the right thing, but are losing confidence because they see neighborhood erosion slowly creeping their way."
     One of the main goals of the ORA is to reposition Oswego's neighborhoods to compete for families who might otherwise have choices to live in another community.
     "Oswego is a city with some really rare features," Van Buren said. "We have two beautiful waterfronts, we have a walkable downtown that is showing signs of new life every day, we have a rich history with landmarks and residents to prove it, and we have held onto a strong since of community that leaves Oswego poised for a bright future. All of these things are strong foundations for us to build off of and revitalize Oswego into a city that can attract young professionals and established families alike."
     "The issue of Oswego's neighborhoods and their potential has been at the forefront of so many people's minds," Stewart interjected. "There is enormous energy on this issue: but this is the first time there has been a rallying point for all this energy in the community to be channeled in a coherent, strategic way."
     Stewart said the ORA has already formed some outstanding strategic partnerships with some strong agencies and coalitions who share the same vision for Oswego, such as the city of Oswego, SUNY Oswego, Pathfinder Bank, Step One Creative and several others.

     "The Ora's mission is to revitalize Oswego's neighborhoods in a strategic way, based upon building on strengths." – Dr. Paul Stewart, president, Oswego Renaissance Association

     Another strategic partnership the ORA has garnered is the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, who recently awarded $45,000 in grant monies to the organization, commending them for their dedication to fostering community development.
     That money, Stewart said, will be used by the ORA to fund the development of the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan with their partners, the community and CZB.
     CZB (www.czb.org ) is a neighborhood revitalization firm the ORA has contracted with that Stewart describes as the "best in the business." He said the president of CZB, Charles Buki, is passionately committed to revitalization work in cities like Oswego, which, Buki claims, has "fantastic bones."
     Working with the ORA and the community, CZB is currently assessing housing conditions and market data for 100 percent of the neighborhoods in the city of Oswego.
     "Sometime after Labor Day, the data collection will be complete, the findings of fact will be presented and CZB will be working with our strategic partners and the community on the development of the revitalization plan," Stewart explained. "The ORA exists for the sole purpose of carrying out this revitalization plan."
     But Stewart, Van Buren and Wheelock know the key to a successful revitalization ultimately lies in the Port City's residents.
     "We understand that we alone cannot hope to get the word out to everyone and in a way that everyone 'gets it,'" Wheelock said. "We have adopted an approach from CZB they have used in many communities they have worked with...and that is to bring all of the neighborhoods to the table with a voice and someone who understands the issues local to their neighborhoods and wants to make a difference."
     At this time, he said, community leaders have been established in each of the wards and are assisting with ward walks with the CZB staff as well as making their neighbors aware of the process currently underway.
     "But as we move from data collection to strategy development to implementation, they will be very instrumental in preparing their neighborhood for each new phase of the process," Wheelock noted.
     Van Buren agreed.
     "All over the city there are people who want this type of change for Oswego," he pointed out. "We have reached out and found a solid group of Oswego residents that have sunk this plan into their DNA and want it to succeed. The group is growing steadily and as more information about what we are trying to do and the ORA is spread, others want to join as well."
     For more information or to become involved, visit www.oswegonyonline.com.