UTICA, N.Y. — Utica Mayor Michael Galime has announced a three-pronged approach to tackle issues on Oriskany Street, which serves as the city’s western gateway. “Oriskany Street has proven it can support a wide variety of commercial and residential interests, and it is time to take the next step,” Galime said in a press release […]
UTICA, N.Y. — Utica Mayor Michael Galime has announced a three-pronged approach to tackle issues on Oriskany Street, which serves as the city’s western gateway.
“Oriskany Street has proven it can support a wide variety of commercial and residential interests, and it is time to take the next step,” Galime said in a press release announcing the initiative. “It is one of the gateways to the city of Utica and, particularly, its downtown and entertainment districts. With Harbor Point on track to open this summer and the area surrounding Union Station undergoing a dramatic facelift, it makes sense that the western gateway undergoes a similar improvement. We’ll be working hard to see to it that improvement continues this year.”
Galime’s strategy focuses on cleaning up, attracting commerce to, and enhancing the functionality of the Oriskany Street corridor.
Elements of the strategy include increased codes presence and enforcement, strategic marketing of city-owned property, and enhancing surrounding residential neighborhoods.
Since 2024, the city’s codes-enforcement department has made more than six dozen visits to Oriskany Street resulting in 17 documented violations. The city’s goal this spring is to resolve some of the most complex violations, including cleaning up the nearby railroad tracks, ensuring all auto-related businesses are neat with cars stored on non-permeable surfaces, and expanding tools to prosecute out-of-state owners more effectively.
The city owns the former Mele Manufacturing site next to Dollar General. The site was overgrown and unkempt for years, but the city established a maintenance schedule for the parcel last year. Now, the city has active plans to sell the parcel.
To enhance the neighborhood surrounding Oriskany Street, the city is actively collaborating with partners to permanently repair the closed bridge on Barnes Avenue. Additionally, the city will take steps to clean and enhance the residential streets behind Oriskany Street.
Galime pointed to past work along the corridor that has spurred growth and development. Traffic flows more smoothly due to a state infrastructure project. New businesses have sprung up around existing ones, with more planned, including a mixed-use development under construction at the former Dunlop Tire Factory building, he noted.
