City of Binghamton, NY – The Broome County Land Bank Corporation and Binghamton Mayor Jared M. Kraham today announced that construction is expected to begin at 52 Beethoven Street on Binghamton’s West Side, the first property to be rehabilitated through the City of Binghamton’s $2 million investment in the Land Bank’s Affordable Homes Program. Broome County Land Bank Executive Director Jessica Haas, Land Bank Board of Directors Chairman Aaron Martin and other Land Bank Board members and Mayor Kraham were joined by Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, City Councilwoman Sophia Resciniti and other officials to celebrate the event.

52 Beethoven Street was acquired by the Land Bank from Broome County in 2022 for $1,500 with the support of County Executive Jason Garnar, Legislature Chairman Dan J. Reynolds, and the entire Broome County Legislature. The single-family home will be renovated using grant funds from the City of Binghamton’s $2 million American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) allocation to the Land Bank. This award was announced by former Mayor Rich David in October 2021, passed unanimously by City Council, and is intended to support construction costs for 10-12 single-family affordable homes through 2025. 52 Beethoven Street is the first in a series of eight properties the Land Bank has in its inventory to date and slated for rehabilitation and subsequent sale as an affordable homeownership opportunity. This project continues the goals of the Land Bank’s Affordable Homes Program within the City of Binghamton and builds upon the Land Bank’s successful projects to date including 32 Hayes Street (sold in 2020), 76 Park Avenue (2021), 124 Gaylord Street (2022), 33 Linden Street (2023) and 15 Birch Street (2023).

52 Beethoven Street is located in the Bennett, Abel, Tract Historic District on the West Side of Binghamton. The Land Bank’s design consultant, Keystone Associates, prioritized maintaining and restoring historic architecture of the home within the scope of work in compliance with New York State Historic Preservation Office (“SHPO”) standards. Architecture such as built-in cabinets, existing leaded glass windows, and trim will be repaired and restored during construction. The Land Bank is using a small allocation from their recently awarded Land Bank Initiative Phase II funding from New York State Homes and Community Renewal to fulfill Architecture and Engineering services and environmental remediation activities at the site.

“I would like to thank County Executive Garnar, Chairman Reynolds, Legislator Ryan and the entire Legislature for authorizing the Land Bank to acquire 52 Beethoven Street from Broome County to include in our Affordable Homes Program. Thank you to Mayor Kraham, Councilwoman Resciniti and all City Councilmembers for their support of the

Land Bank’s Affordable Homes Program through their ARPA allocation. Lastly, I would like to thank Commissioner Visnauskas and New York State Homes and Community Renewal for their LBI assistance at the site,” said Jessica Haas, Executive Director of the Broome County Land Bank Corporation. “We’re happy to announce that 52 Beethoven Street will be the first project underway shortly and slated to be available for purchase to qualified buyers in mid-2024. We’re looking forward to providing another single-family affordable homeownership opportunity in the City of Binghamton.”

“With a historic $2 million investment in the Land Bank’s Affordable Homes Program, the City of Binghamton has jump-started the rehabilitation of vacant, blighted single-family properties, like 52 Beethoven Street into quality homeownership opportunities for residents,” said Mayor Jared Kraham. “The partnership, which won the Local Government Achievement Award from the New York Conference of Mayors earlier this year, will strengthen our neighborhoods, update an aging housing stock and increase affordable housing for local families. Thanks to the Land Bank for their continued partnership and their work alongside the City to deliver results for our neighborhoods.”

“HCR is thrilled to have played a role in this project to preserve and restore a vacant historic home in Binghamton’s West Side,” said HCR Commissioner Ruthanne Visnauskas. “The New York Land Bank Initiative is designed to create homeownership opportunities like this one while stabilizing New York’s neighborhoods. Congratulations to the Broome County Land Bank for reaching this milestone in their goal to construct and preserve single-family affordable homes in the Southern Tier.”

“The Broome County Land Bank has been an important partner in our continued efforts to improve neighborhoods throughout our community,” said County Executive Jason Garnar. “The need for more quality, affordable housing is an ongoing issue and this project is another example of our cooperative work to address it. Thank you to the Land Bank, the County Legislature, the City of Binghamton, and New York State Homes and Community Renewal for working together with us to make this new homeownership opportunity possible.”

The Land Bank issued an advertisement for bids on Wednesday, September 27^th, 2023 with bid packages due from qualified contractors by 2:00pm on Thursday, October 19^th, 2023. Anyone interested in learning more about the home or the process for purchasing the home when listed should contact the Land Bank to be added to an information distribution list at 607-778-6001 or by email at landbank@broomecountyny.gov. Contractors interested in being added to bid solicitation lists should also contact the Land Bank directly.

Established by Broome County in 2013 under the New York State Land Bank Act, the Broome County Land Bank is a nonprofit corporation created to target distressed, vacant, abandoned and foreclosed properties with the goal of fostering community and economic development by eliminating blight and stabilizing neighborhoods.  To learn more, please visit our website at www.broomelandbank.org.

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