NORWICH – A recent grant awarded to the City of Norwich will allow local officials to target brownfield sites located throughout the city and distinguish a viable use for them to become less of an economic and environmental strain for city residents.
The New York State Department of State’s Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) program recently announced the City of Norwich as the recipient of a $90,000 grant to assist in completion of a revitalization plan to rejuvenate a 591-acre area. Brownfields are inactive properties where there was previous development but the presence or potential presence of contamination has impeded site redevelopment.
The BOA program helps set the stage for combined public and private investment in brownfield redevelopment. BOA grant funds often support activities that include: investigations of site contamination conditions; environmental impact assessments; economic and market studies to determine the best use of brownfields and vacant sites; redevelopment plans for strategic sites; marketing to attract developer interest; public forums and other opportunities for community participation; and other action to spur investment, clean-up, and redevelopment related to brownfield sites.
The City of Norwich revitalization plan identifies a total 33 brownfield areas throughout the city, including sites located in the downtown area as well as older residential areas. Identified brownfields lie primarily on the East side of state Highway 12 (Broad Street) and encompass dormant properties on Borden Avenue, Lee Avenue and Mitchell Street, to name a few.
“We are currently looking for a potential use for these types of areas,” said Mayor Joseph Maiurano. “This grant money will help us pinpoint, through the use of a market study, how these sites can best be utilized to better downtown and the city as a whole.”
The mayor said the city will issue a request for proposal (RFP) to private planning firms to conduct a market study in the coming weeks. When city officials choose a firm, they will collaborate with that firm as well as other local planning and development agencies on the best potential use for each identified brownfield. Information may be gathered through site visits, collaboration with local public and non-profit organizations, focus groups and workshops, the U.S. census, Chenango County government, NYS Department of Labor, the Assessor’s Office, and existing strategic and comprehensive plans.
“Our main focal point in all this will be downtown,” Maiurano added, noting that the market study will discern what types of businesses are needed and will draw people to the downtown area. “The heart of the city is so important. If that center core is stable, the whole community will follow.”
The City of Norwich BOA grant is one of 26 grants issued to communities across New York State. Last week, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $10 million in BOA grants for municipalities to implement revitalization strategies that are necessary in order to redevelop impacted sites. Once redeveloped, brownfield sites often become community assets that can attract businesses, jobs, and ultimately expand the local tax base, according to press release from the Governor’s office.
The pending City of Norwich market study is phase two of a three-phase BOA program. Phase one of the program was completed in February, 2009, when city officials worked with the Queensbury-based company Shelter Planning to gather information about commercial sites, develop a revitalization strategy for target areas and create recommendations for each of the targeted properties.