CABVI breaks ground on $24.5 million renovation project

UTICA — The Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) recently broke ground on a $24.5 million project to renovate its Utica headquarters at 507 Kent St. Work will enhance both CABVI’s call center, as well as its manufacturing operations. The project is the final one in a three-part, 10-year plan for expansion at the nonprofit, President/CEO Ed Welsh says. In 2020, CABVI opened a vision health and wellness center on Elizabeth Street in Utica. In 2017, the organization purchased a 68,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse facility on Court Street in Syracuse, where it now employs 40 people — 35 of whom are legally blind. Renovating the Kent Street building is the final project on the list. CABVI broke ground on Nov. 15, and project contractor HR Beebe Construction is already at work. CABVI operations have moved to the organization’s Dwyer Avenue and Bleecker Street locations for the duration of the project, Welsh says. Operational upgrades will include all new machinery that will increase production efficiency and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, renovating the 100-year-old-plus manufacturing facility, and upgrading call-center infrastructure to better manage inbound and outbound calls. The new equipment will allow for a new production setup that enhances CABVI’s manufacturing and packaging of various products including examination gloves and other supplies to federal clients including the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Navy, and the New York State prison system. CABVI employs nearly 60 people with visual impairments through its manufacturing operations and business services at Kent Street. Built in 1929, the building is the organization’s oldest facility, Welsh says. CABVI moved into it in 1979, and there hasn’t been much work done over the years.

Sustainability and energy-efficient improvements are a big part of the project. A new roof will have a reflective white membrane and insulation that will save on energy costs. The addition of more than 350 solar panels will also decrease the facility’s carbon footprint. Welsh expects the company to save enough on energy costs to pay for the solar panels within five years. After that, CABVI will see significant savings on its energy costs for the next 25 years, he adds. “We’re bringing back some of the features that were in the building originally,” Welsh says. The project is adding energy-efficient windows, including ones to replace those blocked over years ago, and installing some skylights. The roof will also be home to a new green space that will provide an accessible outdoor space for employees with guide dogs. Work will also include new heating, LED lighting, and motion sensors. The new lights will be dimmable, which is important, Welsh notes. “Maybe of our people who are legally blind have sensitivity to bright light,” he says. Funding for the project comes, in part, from a $1.6 million capital grant from Empire State Development. CABVI is self-funding the remainder, but also seeking out additional grants to offset the cost, Welsh says. Another element of the project is the development of an innovation center, Welsh says. “Our goal is to have entrepreneurs bring us their products,” he says, and the hope is that CABVI can help them bring that product to market. Work on the project begins with interior demolition over the winter months. “Our goal is to turn this around in about 20 months,” Welsh says of the project. CABVI expects to complete the renovations in May 2026. Founded in 1929, the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a mission to provide job opportunities and vision services to those with vision loss.