ALBANY - Governor David Paterson and Syracuse Mayor Stephanie A. Miner today announced that the City and the State have reached an agreement and are moving forward with the demolition of the building located at 921 North State Street in order to reopen Interstate 81. The agreement establishes shared responsibilities in dealing with the removal of the threat to the highway and ensuring the safety of motorists on the Interstate. Work to begin preparing the site for demolition could begin as soon as Saturday morning.

"When Mayor Miner contacted me with this difficult situation, I committed to assist and partner with the City by deploying the resources of the State Departments of Transportation, Environmental Conservation, and Labor to help her resolve it," Governor Paterson said. "The State and City have been working closely together to deal with this complicated and difficult situation that has taken a toll on motorists who depend on the Interstate to commute and enjoy leisure activities in the heart of Syracuse. We will continue to work together to get this highway opened, which we expect to happen next week.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie A. Miner: "We've reached a fair agreement on a complex and unprecedented issue that will allow for the building to be demolished and let us reopen route 81 as soon as possible."