It's a project that has been plagued by controversy for quite some time, but now the future of the Inner Harbor development is even more uncertain.
"We need economic development that helps everyone, and here you have a program that was supposed to be economic development, and instead, it was being used to reward very few people," said Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner.
COR is the contracting company in charge of the Inner Harbor Development. Two of its top officials face federal charges of corruption. Company founder Steve Aiello and attorney Joseph Gerardi made their first appearances in court on Friday.
"We have to see what's going to happen. Clearly, there's a judicial process; we respect that," said Syracuse Common Councilor Nader Maroun.
The $350 million project was not one of the developments in question. But Miner says that, with the allegations, leaders should take a second look.
"Is there state money that's going to be coming to it?" she asked. "This is going to take a major evaluation of where we are as a community with economic development projects, and that's separate and apart from, appropriately so, the criminal proceeding that will move forward."
Syracuse common councilors met to discuss the project's future. Their main concern is taxpayers.
"It'll be interesting to see how things turn out," Councilor Khalid Bey said. "It's always unfortunate when this kind of thing happens, because I think, at the end of the day, the taxpayer suffers, which is our obligation to protect."
Miner claims there's an important lesson to be taken from the alleged scandal.
"I think you're seeing firsthand that what was sacrificed to be expeditious in development was checks and balances and the ability to have all sets of eyes on a project," she said, "so we can make sure that it is an honest and open and transparent process."
Earlier this month, COR filed a lawsuit against the city over land at the Inner Harbor the city is refusing to sell. City officials don't expect that suit to reach a courtroom anytime soon.