JOHNSON CITY — Flush with $10 million in state Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funding, Johnson City is eyeing a slate of projects to help transform its downtown into one that matches the vibrancy of growth seen in the village in recent years. “We’ve had a tremendous amount of growth in our downtown in recent years,” […]
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JOHNSON CITY — Flush with $10 million in state Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funding, Johnson City is eyeing a slate of projects to help transform its downtown into one that matches the vibrancy of growth seen in the village in recent years.
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of growth in our downtown in recent years,” Mayor Martin Meaney says. Once home to the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company, the village is now home to several Binghamton University facilities recently opened or in the works. UHS Wilson Medical Center is undergoing a $175 million transformation. Also, the former Endicott-Johnson factory building was converted into apartments.
“Those are all really great building blocks,” Meaney says. Now, through the DRI, it’s the village’s job to help leverage those building blocks into more development such as new businesses, improved streetscaping, and more.
About $300,000 of the DRI funding goes toward consulting fees and the formation of the committee that will help develop a strategic investment plan. That plan examines local assets and opportunities to identify potential projects for DRI funding.
A number of projects — both private and public — have already been identified as potential projects for such pay-to-play funding, meaning developers must fund the projects upfront and apply for DRI funding to reimburse them.
Goodwill Theatre, Inc., has proposed a second phase of renovation at the Firehouse Stage — as part of a future multi-stage Goodwill Theatre Complex to anchor the downtown’s health and cultural district. Work would complete renovation of the first, second, and third floors into a double-venue facility, increasing occupancy by 400 percent.
The former Endicott-Johnson building at 19 Avenue B will be redeveloped into mixed-use residential and commercial space including 28 market-rate apartments and 7,200 square feet of commercial space.
Binghamton Brewing Company, shut down during the pandemic, is reestablishing operations in 3,300 square feet in the Century Sunrise building at 135 Baldwin St. A second project phase would renovate more than 7,000 additional square feet to accommodate a 15-barrel brewing system, food-service operations, and seating for 100 people in a project that will create an estimated 27 jobs.
A vacant building on the corner of Main Street and North Broad Street will be renovated to house four two-bedroom apartments on the upper floors with commercial space on the first floor and basement level.
A wine bar is coming to 252 Main St. with the renovation of a vacant, three-story building. Apartments are planned for the upper floors.
Planned public projects include streetscape improvements along Main Street using Greater Binghamton Funds (a previous $950,000 award) to extend improvements such as high-visibility crosswalks, brick pavers, lighting, and landscaping east and west from the core of Main Street.
There are also plans to develop “gateways” into the downtown district with masonry gateway elements, lighting, and landscaping at locations such as Lester Avenue and Willow Street.
The village’s downtown connectivity initiative will link areas of downtown such as the UHS Wilson campus, Binghamton University facilities, and more to the Main Street business district in a way that supports both pedestrian and bike access.
“We’re trying to develop more parking lots,” Meaney adds. Plans also call for electric-vehicle charging stations, and expansion of the village’s rail trail.
The hope is the projects will not only improve the look and feel of the downtown district, but also attract even more development.
“There’s a developer that’s been knocking on the door that wants to bring a hotel downtown,” Meaney notes.
Prior to the DRI funding, Meaney says about $429 million has been spent on projects within the DRI area. “This $10 million is just going to be icing on the cake,” he adds.
