The city of Binghamton will receive $2 million in state funding to renovate the former Crowley Dairy Company building on the city’s south side.
The restoration project involves turning the vacant, 73,000-square-foot building into 48 units of market-rate loft apartments and commercial space on the ground floor.
The former dairy plant has been vacant for five years. The money comes from the Restore New York Communities Initiative, which funds projects to rehabilitate blighted downtowns and neighborhoods across the state.
Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham said a lack of quality housing makes it harder for local businesses to hire.
“They can recruit talent but there’s no place for that talent to live,” Kraham said. “And this is the type of building where it’s next to the river, beautiful views obviously, and it can create [those] loft-style apartments that many people want.”
Owner and developer Jon Korchynsky said his own grandfather worked for the dairy company years ago. He said the renovation process will take anywhere from eighteen months to two years.
“To really get a true idea of what this property is going to look like, you really need to look at it from the riverside,” Korchynsky said. “Because that really gives you a totally new perspective of what the building has to offer.”
The project is one of eight in the Southern Tier funded by the Restore New York Communities Initiative.
A total of $11.9 million will go towards rehabilitation and renovation projects in the region, including developments in Watkins Glen and the city of Cortland.
Johnson City received over $200,000 to renovate a location on Grand Avenue. The city of Oneonta received $900,000 to turn a building downtown into apartments, a shared workspace, and commercial space.