SPECIAL REPORT
Working to Make Eastwood a Better Place Developer and real estate broker Stephen Skinner making his mark in Syracuse neighborhood By Margaret McCormick
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ast year, Syracuse developer and real estate broker Stephen Skinner, a Republican, challenged Democrat Peggy Chase in the race for 9th District Onondaga County legislator. It was his first run for public office. The 9th district is made up of several parts of Syracuse, including sections of the North Side, Eastwood, East Side and the Syracuse University area. If elected, Skinner said at the time, he would advocate for more street lighting and security cameras, speed bumps to help deter chronic speeding, and more funding for youth recreation and after-school programs, among other things. “I believe I am the best choice to serve as the 9th district legislator, not because of what I say, but because of what I am already doing,’’ Skinner told The Post-Standard. In the end, Chase won another term. And Skinner returned to doing what he has been doing for the last 20-plus years: working to make the Eastwood neighborhood — his home base — a better place to live, work and play. Eastwood, dubbed “The Village Within the City,’’ is about two miles east of downtown Syracuse and bordered roughly by Teall Avenue to the west, Thompson Road to the east, Burnet Avenue–Route 690 to the south and the jagged city limits line to the north. It has more than 6,000 homes, many dating to the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, according to the Eastwood Neighborhood Association. The streets are tree-lined and walkable, and the neighborhood is home to several parks and recreation spaces. The neighborhood has a close-knit, small-town vibe and a community spirit that residents embrace. That includes a busy business district, especially on James Street, the neighborhood’s main corridor. Even if you haven’t spent much
Syracuse developer and real estate broker Stephen Skinner is active in several projects taking place in his Eastwood neighborhood.
time in Eastwood, per se, you might have attended a show at the Palace Theatre (which Skinner owns), checked out the titles at Books End Bookshop or Books and Melodies, or attempted the
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“Frittata Challenge’’ at Mother’s Cupboard, a hole-in-the-wall diner that’s been featured on the Travel Channel. Skinner is well-known in Eastwood and his roots there run deep. His grand-
