Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 9

39 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 UT I CA , NEW YORK construction – much like Syracuse and Rochester. By 1845, the city was leading New York in the processing of southern cotton and knitted goods, having swelled to a population of 20,000, which was more than the populations of Chicago, Detroit, or Cleveland at the time. Utica, like so many other Rust Belt cities, faced a massive economic downturn in the mid-20th century due to offshoring and the decline of its once-booming textile sector. But, through it all, the city has made the most of a low cost of living, attracting immigrants and refugees from around the world. At the present, Utica is working to further embrace the concept of