Inspirations of the past influence downtown revitalization of the present - by Stacey Duncan

The Southern Tier of New York is populated with several predominately rural counties which all center around their respective downtown cores. Broome County has experienced the same ups and downs of industry and population change as our neighbors in the Southern Tier sharing real estate in the Rust Belt. More importantly, however, despite the challenges our community has faced, we have remained steadfast in our dedication to economic development and downtown revitalization. The Broome County of the past was regarded as a hub for industry, with factories that attracted hundreds of blue-collar workers and their respective newly constructed housing which built up our strong sense of community. Once home to the Endicott Johnson Corp., the largest shoe factory in the world during its operation, the birthplace of virtual reality, the origin of IBM, and more, the Greater Binghamton and Broome County area has continued to strive towards reclaiming the moniker of its past: “The Valley of Opportunity.”

Thanks to the efforts of the Broome County Industrial Development Agency and its partners including New York State, Broome County and municipal governments, the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, and more, the triple cities of Endicott, Johnson City, and Binghamton and beyond have witnessed a resurgence in development and industry. Many believe that downtown revitalization is at the core of impactful economic development, and for The Agency it exists as one of our key priorities. Investments into infrastructure, housing, growing businesses, job opportunities, and the lives of those who live in our urban centers are all part of The Agency’s formula to progress effective downtown revitalization.

For many in the rust belt, downtown revitalization also means breathing new life back into abandoned buildings. The triple cities are rich with history and beautiful architecture thanks to the entrepreneurs of the past such as Willis Kilmer and George Johnson. The Agency over the years has successfully worked with a number of developers to restore these abandoned properties through our financial assistance programs including our Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program. For example, Century Sunrise, a market-rate housing project in Johnson City, was a PILOT project completed in 2017, bringing 104 workforce and market-rate apartments, as well as 10,000 s/f of commercial space to the historic Endicott-Johnson Corp. shoe factory Johnson City.

Believed to be a catalyst, many more projects like Century Sunrise have popped up in the triple cities. Following in Century Sunrise’s footsteps, in 2019 the old Ansco Camera Factory in Binghamton was transformed into luxury lofts with 50,000 s/f of commercial space, revitalizing an iconic legacy building in Binghamton’s First Ward neighborhood and creating a more business-friendly and business-centered community. The project succeeded in connecting the west side of Binghamton to the ever-growing Southern Tier Health Sciences and Technology Innovation Park in downtown Johnson City, providing much needed quality housing for young professionals and Binghamton University health sciences students alike. To continue to cater to this growth, The Agency approved a PILOT in February 2021 for the same developer of Ansco, Paulus Development, to transform the famous Endicott Johnson Victory Building in Johnson City, which had laid dormant for over 40 years, into more than 100 market-rate apartments and 7,500 s/f of commercial space to boost the tax base and assist in revitalizing the local economy.

Similar to the Broome County of days past, a strong entrepreneurial spirit also resides in the area and is another crucial part of filling these commercial spaces downtown with innovative and exciting new businesses. This is why, in an effort to progress downtown revitalization, the Industrial Development Agency in 2017 provided $2 million in financial assistance to aid in the construction and development of the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator in the City of Binghamton. This critical project has successfully fostered the growth of a lively entrepreneurial ecosystem downtown, graduating several local small businesses, and continues to support the ongoing growth of an emerging clean energy sector in Broome County, another future avenue for critical development opportunities.

The Agency’s Small Business Incentive Program has also served as a key component for downtown revitalization supporting the economic health of area small businesses and assisting in the rehabilitation of historic buildings. Most notable is the project located at 250 Main St. in Johnson City in 2019. The project successfully transformed the beautiful, historic brick-front building built in 1899 in the heart of downtown into two floors of stunning apartments and a completely renovated commercial space perfect for any small business.

The tools to advance downtown economic growth are endless. Work with us at The Agency and we can help discover the right programs in our office or with our partners for your business to be able to contribute to the revitalization of our community. Together we can reinvent Broome County’s triple cities and continue the recent trend of upward economic growth. A community with strong roots in advanced manufacturing, technology, and health sciences, all we need next is you and your business to further the ongoing downtown revitalization of Broome County.

Stacey Duncan is the executive director of The Agency, and president and CEO of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, Binghamton N.Y.