Syracuse police found evidence of an explosion inside a vending machine at 404 Oak Street on Friday, April 10, at approximately 3:45 p.m. The blast caused heavy damage to the machine. Nobody was hurt.
Here’s what nobody else has reported: that building is currently on the market.
404 Oak Street is listed for sale at $1,350,000 (MLS #S1439205), brokered by Lerina DiFrancesco of Berkshire Hathaway CNY Realty. The 3-story commercial office building was built in 1970, spans 19,650 square feet, and is described as a multi-tenant rental income property with tenants demonstrating longevity.
One of its tenants is CNY Testing in Suite 110 — a workplace drug and alcohol screening service and Quest Diagnostics partner.
The Cupcake Business in the Lobby
Another occupant of the building’s lobby: a cupcake vending machine operated by Cupcakes R Me Vending LLC, owned by Kadesha Carter. Carter is a self-taught baker who made local news when she abandoned her physical bakery at 316 W. Onondaga Street in favor of vending machines. She invested $2,000 in her first machine, wrapped it pink with her branding, and launched at 404 Oak Street around July 2022.
Carter told media she felt “trapped running an actual bakery” and wanted flexibility. The vending model worked — her products sell at $3 and $5 tiers, and accept cash, cards, and Apple Pay.
Her success caught the attention of Syracuse Hancock International Airport, which reached out to Carter directly. Her machine became part of the airport’s new Automated Retail Lounge, unveiled December 12, 2023. The lounge was designed through an RIT College of Art and Design student competition called “Hyperspace” with 15 competing teams. Jason Mehl, Chief Commercial Officer of the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, oversaw the project.
The Investigation
Whether the damaged machine was Carter’s cupcake unit or a different machine in the lobby has not been confirmed by police. The explosion was described as occurring in a vending machine “near the building entrance” — the same area where the Cupcakes R Me machine operates.
SPD confirmed by 4 p.m. there was “no belief that the incident could be terror related” and no credible public safety threat. The FBI was not notified. Detectives are collecting and reviewing video surveillance. The cause remains undetermined.
The 400 block of Oak Street sits on Syracuse’s Near West Side — a neighborhood where the median household income is $18,394, about 44% below the citywide median. It’s also home to the SALT District, the first existing neighborhood in the U.S. to earn LEED for Neighborhood Development certification.
What to Know
- Explosion at 404 Oak Street, April 10 at ~3:45 p.m. — heavy damage to a vending machine
- No injuries, no credible threat, FBI not notified
- Building: 19,650 sq ft, built 1970, listed at $1.35M (MLS #S1439205)
- Cupcakes R Me owner Kadesha Carter invested $2,000 in her first machine
- Second machine at Syracuse Hancock Airport, part of Automated Retail Lounge (Dec 2023)
- Cause under investigation — detectives reviewing video surveillance
Photo: Pexels. Sources: CNY Central, LocalSYR, WOUR, Syracuse Hancock Airport, HUNT Real Estate, LoopNet.
