This is a post that I wrote a few months back when initial request for comments was published on the Inner Harbor RFP.  I noticed today some new press in  a couple online locations, so figured I would get this up online here to refer folks to when commenting.

Beyond development in the economic sense, we should be looking at our social
and sense of community futures as well, or even most primarily, in regard to
the Inner Harbor. Maintaining the sense of history and natural influences
should be paramount.  I would argue for commercial to be kept at a minimum,
with a higher emphasis on services, and resources for the public, from which
visitors and residents can then be mobile outwards from this destination, towards downtown for instance, to access a commercial core.

* Comments relating to increasing the number of develpment opportunities
from a few select individuals or firms, to a broad range and number of
opportunities, should most defenitely be heeded first off.  The last thing
we need is a homogenization of development in the hands of a few.  We would
most certainly in the long run benefit from a decentralization of power and
an equity of opportunity and creativity at the Inner Harbor.

* It would be amazing to have a municipal campground (excepting RVs please)
for bikers through the Erie Canal corridor, or visitors to the city who
might want to use us as a stopping off point before the Adirondacks or the
Great Lakes (and enjoy what Syracuse has to offer in the meantime such as
our attempts to create a festival economy downtown).  During a recent bike
touring trip around Lac St. Jean north of Quebec City, I was able to see the
extraordinary sense of place developing around the Veloroute idea for
bicycle tourism and the intrinsic role that the series of municipal
campgrounds we stayed at had on the accessibility of this route and
communities for touring bicyclists -
http://www.veloroute-bleuets.qc.ca/en/hebergements/

* How about a swimming lagoon utilizing the natural water from the harbor as
it becomes cleaner due to our GIF advances?  I have read and heard from
numerous sources  the lake water itself is swimmable as long as the sediment
isn't disrupted, is this true of the harbor as well?  If so, creating a
lagoon separated from the sediment of the harbor, while utilizing the harbor
water itself would be analogous to the popular Ylströnd geothermal beach in
Reykjavik Iceland - http://www.nautholsvik.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-715/
.

* Major facilities for bicyclists such as an info center, maps, and an
expanded bikeway and bicyclists area for convergence.  Expansive signage and
painted roads with biker symbols and rights-of-way markings should be
integral.

* How about an arboretum park and/or botanical garden?  An edible forest
garden project as part of this demonstrating the enormous variety of foods
we can grow in our city, and I'm not just talking raised community garden
beds here, but edibles such as spruce tips or pawpaws.  We have the
expertise, wisdom, and likely person power (students) from SUNY-ESF or
emerging permacultural based groups such as the Alchemical Nursery to
contribute directly to this component.  For an explanation of Permaculture
and an introduction to the upcoming Community Ecological Design Training
course being held in Syracuse this fall visit
http://www.alchemicalnursery.org/news/412-community-training-in-ecological-design-in-syracuse.html

* And while we are dicsussing agricultural type endeavors, with the rising
interest in urban ag, what a better place for a farm incubator program?  In
case you are not familiar with the excellent example of the Intervale Center
in nearby Burlington VT - see http://www.intervale.org/

* And finally, echoing others' mention of including residential in the
overall plan (especially in opposition to any employment center that would
only encourage day-jobs for suburbanites leaving town every evening after
work), please consider the concept of ecological co-housing or ecovillage
type development - http://www.cohousing.org/ or
http://ecovillageithaca.org/evi/

Overall, I ask, what more could make the inner harbor at Syracuse a city
destination and hotspot BESIDES more retail?  When at the Harbor for the Big
Splash concert event earlier this year, it was a beautiful spot with a
beautiful connection with nature as Onondaga Creek enters the Harbor, with a
beautiful view towards the lake, maintaining such a viewshed within
development pressures can be ensured with implementing a creative mix of
ideas such as I've proposed above, and that others will hopefully reflect
and add to over this process.