A photograph of the former Central Tech High School, also known as the Greystone Building, which has been repurposed into the Syracuse STEAM School.

Syracuse STEAM High School

Historic Syracuse Building Becomes Central New York’s First STEAM High School

The City of Syracuse, the Syracuse City School District (SCSD), Onondaga County, and Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Counties BOCES (OCM BOCES) have collaborated on the region’s first-ever STEAM high school. For the last two years, LaBella has served as the lead architect and engineer on the project, including:

Leading master planning, architectural and interior design, and civil and structural engineering
Overseeing historic preservation of the original Central Tech High School building
Integrating modern learning environments with adaptive reuse principles to support advanced technical training and community revitalization

Fuel for Higher Education

When taught at an early age (kindergarten through 12th grade), STEAM concepts can serve as the foundation for higher education and career training. In addition to fueling higher education, “STEM skills such as computational thinking, problem-finding and solving, and innovation are crucial for people working to manufacture smarter products, improve healthcare, and safeguard the Nation.” (Charting a Course for Success: America’s Strategy for STEM Education, Executive Office of the President, 2018)

The STEAM High School’s programs include Visual Arts, Entertainment Engineering, Robotics/Automation, Data Analytics, Semiconductor Microchip Technology, Performing Arts, Media Technology and Design, Construction Management, and Business Entrepreneurship.

Design highlights include:

● Workforce-driven environments that align with leading industries such as semiconductors, robotics, and advanced manufacturing

● Innovative learning spaces that offer hands-on, project-based learning, including technology-enabled classrooms, industry-standard labs, and flexible environments

● Adaptive reuse of a historic building into a cutting-edge, 21st-century educational institution

Back to School

This project is breathing life back into one of downtown Syracuse’s most iconic structures—the original Central Tech High School, also known as the Greystone Building. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the school has been vacant for nearly half a century. Designed by renowned local architect Archimedes Russell in Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts styles, some of the original 1900s woodwork and ornate interior design details remain throughout the building.

The interior of the former Central Tech High School was significantly demolished and reconfigured in the 1980s. The project team was committed to restoring the site to its original use as a school. Preservation efforts focused on removing 1980s-era construction and reestablishing school-programmed spaces.

A photograph of the historic facade of the top of the former Central Tech High School building in Syracuse, NY--now the Syracuse STEAM High School.

A photograph of the entry to the former Central Tech High School, also known as the Greystone Building, which has been repurposed into the Syracuse STEAM School.

A photograph of the interior of the former Central Tech High School, also known as the Greystone Building, which has been repurposed into the Syracuse STEAM School.

A Model for the Future

The spaces, as historically programmed, were sizable and provided the opportunity for exceptional educational environments. However, after sitting vacant for decades, the transformation involved extensive renovations to create modern learning spaces that support cutting-edge STEAM programming.

The new STEAM High School offers a rigorous academic curriculum with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Educational spaces include a robotics lab, an emulated clean room, animation fabrication labs, a sound studio, and the famed Lincoln Auditorium. The school is open to students from the SCSD as well as those from OCM BOCES component school districts.

The project’s impact reaches beyond the creation of a groundbreaking school in Central New York—it serves as a model for urban school redevelopment. It stands as a hallmark of forthcoming revitalization and will bring equitable access to the region’s educational and career opportunities.

With a construction cost of approximately $90 million—the largest for a single K-12 building in New York State—the Syracuse STEAM High School opened its doors in time for the fall 2025 school year.

Check out this video from SCSD.

Additional Renderings

Groundbreaking Ceremony

SCSD Superintendent Anthony Davis, City of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, and Governor Kathy Hochul broke ground at the future site of New York State’s first-ever countywide STEAM school on December 7th, 2023.

For additional photos, video, and audio of the groundbreaking ceremony, please click the button below.

From the Governor’s Office