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* . » . . a * iT 1*oeliesOnce-Elegant Building Harbors City’s IndigentFirst of Two Parts- *By JANET GEAMZARussell H. Phelps wears a three-piece suit and parks his shiny silver-grey Lincoln Continental on the sidewalk where, 80 years ago, horse-drawn carriages awaited the elegant residents of the Snowdon Apartments;When the tall, white-haired man slips from his car and looks up at the building, he sees a stately landmark that once housed the elite of Syracuse — a landmark that, largely through his efforts, again reflects its former grandeur.With its wide porch and fluted white columns, the building’s facade seems a fitting backdrop for his luxurious car and dignified attire.But when Phelps opens the door to the Snowdon, he confronts a vastly different world, one where fine materials and gleaming finishes have been replaced by the stains and tatters ofMike Groenlor/THE POST-STANDARDThe six-story Snowdon looms behind owner Russell H. Phelps.wear and neglect.Inside, the Snowdon’s tenants joke about the building, giving it nicknames like “HutchingsIP’ and “The Roach Motel.” Some have been*known to break its windows, kick in its doors, urinate on its floors and steal its furniture when they leave.“It used to be that 'Who’s Who in Syracuse’ lived here,” said Syracuse Police Officer William Topp, whose beat includes the Snowdon. “But now the people here are all just survivors.Now, the people include many whose last stop was a shelter for the homeless; a stint in Hutchings Psychiatric Center, a jail1 term or a summer on the street — people who, Onondaga County Social Services Commissioner Robert Stone says, “most other landlords wouldn’t tolerate.”With its. sagging floors, peeling walls, insecticide odor and impoverished, clientele, the building has become a survivor itself. And no one, not even Russell Phelps, knowsquite what to do with itPhelps, who next month will* have owned thebuilding a decade, says he is performing a public service by providing a home for people who have no other place to go, and many cityand county officials reluctantly agree.At the same time, the city is putting pressure on Phelps to correct hundreds of building code violations in the Snowdon.“Every effort has to be made to bring the building up to minimum adequate standards,” says David Mchel, commissioner of the city Department of Community Development. “We’re going to do whatever is necessary, including a receivership program,” which wouldfunnel all rent into renovation.• ■(Continued on Page A-8)
Newspaper Details
Syracuse Post Standard
Syracuse, New York, US
Wed, Dec 04, 1985
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Sarah K.
NA, 17 Jul 2020
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