Score one for the self-proclaimed clout of U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. Thanks largely to recent efforts of the senator, a former gas station on Syracuse's south side will be redeveloped. The intersection of East Brighton Avenue and Seneca Turnpike is home to three vacant properties: two former gas stations and an old car wash. Two of them are owned by gas station chain Sunoco. City officials say they'd been trying to work with Sunoco to get the sites redeveloped for over a year, but accused the company of blocking the properties' sale in order to keep competition away from a fueling station it operates down the road. But in came Schumer in June to hold a press conference at the intersection to put the pressure on Sunoco. Schumer then announced he had arranged a meeting between city officials and executives from the pump station chain a few weeks later. The end result is plans to build a Dunkin' Donuts on the site of the two properties owned by Sunoco. (A third vacant former gas station
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