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Sixteen code violations highlighting structural integrity issues at the Clinton Street Parking Garage in downtown Syracuse are still open years after being originally filed, according to the City of Syracuse’s open data website and the Syracuse Code Enforcement Office.

The parking garage is located at 401 Clinton St. in downtown Syracuse, approximately a mile and a half away from SU’s North Campus. The violations, filed between March 2020 and June 2021, detail the garage’s safety issues and lack of fit for human occupancy in accordance with the 2020 Property Maintenance Code of New York State and other codes.

The PMCNYS establishes minimum requirements for the maintenance of current buildings across New York state and serves to protect public health by providing property improvement provisions.

A professor in Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Sciences said in an email to The Daily Orange that four of the open cases filed in June 2021 describe conditions that could seriously compromise the structural integrity of the building if not taken care of in a timely manner. The professor wished to remain unnamed due to liability concerns.

The cases violate sections 306.1.1, 306.1, 305.2 and 305.1.1 of the PMCNYS, which outline conditions for overall soundness and ability of the structure to carry the design loads, or how much weight the structure can support.

“Making timely repair, rehab or replacement is therefore paramount,” wrote the professor.

Four of the cases filed in June 2021 violate sections 306.1.1, 306.1, 305.2 and 305.1.1 of the 2020 Property Maintenance Code of New York State, which outline conditions for overall soundness and ability of the structure to carry the design loads, or how much weight the structure can support.

Maxine Brackbill | Photo Editor

The professor also pointed to the parking garage’s violations of section 107.1.1 and section 107.1.3 of the PMCNYS, which define parameters for unsafe structures and structures unfit for human occupancy.

In PMCNYS Section 107.1.1, unsafe structures are defined as dangerous to the health and safety of the public or the occupants of the structure if there are no minimum safeguards in place to protect or warn occupants if the structure is damaged, decayed or structurally unsafe.

Section 107.1.3 classifies a structure as unfit for human occupancy if it is deemed unsafe and unlawful, including if the structure lacks maintenance, contains filth and contamination or lacks ventilation, according to the PMCNYS.

Two open code violations in the parking garage stem from the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code, which was adopted by New York State in 2016. Both complaints, filed in March 2020, cite unsafe conditions as defined in the IPMC and include compromised soil or deterioration of concrete, aluminum and steel. The IPMC defines conditions unsafe if sufficient deterioration, deformation or corrosion is present.

“Some of the PMCNYS and IMPC violations are directly related to the safety and integrity of the structure. If these problems are not corrected by reparation, rehabilitation or replacement to meet code requirements, the soundness and load-carrying capacity of the structure could be compromised,” the professor wrote.

A sign, attached to a fence blocking cars from moving further up the garage, reads that construction is ongoing in phases to improve parking facilities. The sign did not mention that the above levels were unfit for human occupancy or if the construction efforts were aimed at fixing the citations.

Dominic Chiappone | Asst. News Editor

The D.O. reached out to the owners of the parking garage, Partnership Properties, Inc., for comment about a timeline for addressing the 16 remaining cases. As of Sunday, the owners offered no comment.

Brooke Schneider, senior public information officer in the City of Syracuse’s Office of Communications, wrote in an email to The D.O. that the basement and first floor of the parking garage have been allowed to remain open while the rest of the garage currently remains unfit.

A sign, attached to a fence blocking cars from moving further up the garage, reads that construction is ongoing in phases to improve parking facilities. The sign did not mention that the above levels were unfit for human occupancy or if the construction efforts were aimed at fixing the citations.

“I don’t know whether the owner or management of the garage has already taken the steps to address these problems,” the professor wrote, “but they do need to be taken care of without further delay.”

Kyle Chouinard and Faith Bolduc contributed to the reporting of this story.

Published on September 3, 2023 at 11:40 pm

Contact Dominic: dcchiapp@syr.edu | @DominicChiappo2