From The Office of the Mayor: October State of the Village
Momentum continues for the Village of Endicott on many fronts. We are all pleased to see that Phoenix Investors is purchasing the Huron Campus. This company has experience in transforming older manufacturing sites across the country. They plan to re-brand the site, make investments, and use their network to attract new business. The company also focuses on transforming the communities where they are working. Also, in September, Ubiquity Solar announced a new facility at the Huron Campus to manufacture solar-voltaic cells. This project will be operational at the end of 2022 and will require 150 new jobs. The many developments during the course of the year are spurring additional inquiries by developers for Washington Avenue and other parts of the Village. Our community is finally entering a growth phase for the foreseeable future. It is a very busy time for our staff at the Village of Endicott and in the Town of Union. We appreciate those that step up to help.
Washington Avenue Development: Our plans are being posted in the Rotunda and on the project website. The construction will take place next year. Safety and security are top priorities for this project in response to input from business owners and citizens. The public is invited to provide input on design details. We will have to balance design details against the approved level of funds. Our department heads are involved in reviewing our plans and consider infrastructure needs as we excavate parts of the streets and parking lots. We also are looking for other sources of funding to support the overall program. Some companies are making a commitment to fund specific initiatives.
Business Development: We welcome the many new businesses coming to the Village and appreciate our existing business base. In this light, we are proud to note that ICS on Grant Avenue was ranked top IT provider in Central New York.
We are working with the IDA to address our brownfield sites, including Kmart Plaza, 1803 North Street, and Endicott Forging. Given the growing level of interest in development sites, we need to make these sites investible.
Recent business growth over the last few years includes:
Relocation of National Pipe and Plastics
Relocation and Expansion of Lupo Spiedies
Start-up of iM3NY that will drive job growth over the next eight years
Approval of Bryne Dairy
Housing Visions
Sky View Heights (Altura) Development
Ubiquity Solar and Phoenix Investors noted above
Return of Ruby Jewelers
Many restaurants and coffee houses
SEPP is progressing a project for apartments and commercial space on Washington Avenue.
In September, we filed our plan for the Downtown Revitalization Incentive (DRI) that could provide additional funding for projects in the Village. This is a competitive solicitation.
Village Operations: Our staff is very busy with a combination of our traditional duties, reviewing the Washington Avenue projects and addressing a growing number of development opportunities. Below are a few items of note:
Addressing the steam noise from Huron Campus. Chris Pelto met with the Board to discuss the plans to correct the problem. Developing a new noise ordinance.
We are continuing to work with NYSERDA on clean energy projects. We will hire an intern to assist with this work. NYSERDA provides funding for interns that work on clean energy initiatives. We have received a $5,000 grant from NYSERDA for work completed to date.
We are preparing to address water treatment plant issues with the Board. Our water rates are the lowest in the region. We will have to explore a rate increase to qualify for grants to provide much-needed filtration.
New Restaurant pamphlets are available at the DMV and Village Hall.
Addressing increased traffic at Jennie F. Snapp School
Work on new murals for the Village will begin soon.
Establishing an art park in an area behind the Avenue businesses.
Thanks to Our Many Volunteers: I want to thank the folks at Achieve for supporting our landscaping at our municipal building. Tiger Ventures has supported our beautification program, and Village organizations and churches are adopting areas identified by the Beautification Committee. VINEs will be developing our second community garden at 130 Squires Avenue on October 16. Also, on October 16, several organizations are volunteering to conduct riverbank cleanup projects on Riverview, Chugnut, Mercereau Park, and Grippen Park. School groups and Endicott Rotary have also been involved in community cleanup projects.
Thank you to our event coordinators for organizing the many events and bringing our community together with Concerts, Applefest, the Arch Celebration, Hero Parades, and many more.
Many businesses support our events and address special needs. Donna Lupardo is providing funds to support additional security cameras. A tree committee has been established to create an urban tree program for our Village. Grant funding is available for these projects.
Endicott Proud continues to meet on a monthly basis. The Village, Town, Small Business Development Center, School System, and others provide updates. We generally hear from a business or two in the Village, and we discuss issues and opportunities. A strategic plan has been drafted for Endicott Proud. We are reaching out to community members to seek their input and to seek support and volunteers for the many initiatives we hope to accomplish.
Conclusion: As I reflect on the past few months, three thoughts come to mind. First, the celebration of the Arch reminds us of the great history of the Village of Endicott. Second, Larry Parham, a professor at BU who provided education on the importance of diversity, recently passed away. Larry’s words will guide me to include all the residents in our community. And last, for a variety of reasons, the Village of Endicott is going to get another opportunity at significant job growth. The next several years will be very exciting and busy. We will need all the help we can get. It is a future that belongs to all of us.
Sincerely,
Mayor Linda Jackson