Village of Endicott, NY – The Broome County Land Bank Corporation announced the demolition of 119 Oak Hill Avenue in the Village of Endicott.  Broome County Land Bank Executive Director Jessica Haas was joined by members of the Land Bank Board of Directors, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, Broome County Legislator and Majority Leader Matt Pasquale, Town of Union, Village of Endicott, and other officials to celebrate the event.

The Land Bank acquired 119 Oak Hill Avenue in the Village of Endicott from a Broome County tax foreclosure proceeding in February 2023. The property is in Endicott’s Little Italy neighborhood and is nearby the George W. Johnson Park Carousel. The structure has sat vacant for several years leading to unwarranted blight in a neighborhood that is currently revitalizing.

“The Land Bank undertook a historic round of demolition projects this year and 119 Oak Hill Avenue is the last of the six,” said Broome County Land Bank Executive Director Jessica Haas. “On behalf of the Land Bank, we are proud to continue our successful county-wide demolition program. Since 2013, we’ve been able to remove dozens of blighted properties like 119 Oak Hill Avenue that have all led to positive impacts on our entire community. Projects like this wouldn’t be possible without our funding and project partners, including County Executive Jason Garnar, Legislature Chairman Dan Reynolds, Majority Leader Matt Pasquale, and the entire Broome County Legislature.”

“This demolition caps off a historic round of work by the Broome County Land Bank, one in which six properties were cleared for future development,” said Broome County Executive Jason Garnar. “This project on Oak Hill Avenue is particularly important given its proximity to George W. Johnson Park, where thousands of residents and visitors gather every summer. Removing this eyesore is another step in the ongoing revitalization of this historic neighborhood and I thank the Land Bank, the Broome County Legislature, and our municipal and State partners for working together to get it done.”

“The conclusion of this round of demolitions by the Broome County Land Bank is just the most recent example of the efforts that are underway to remove blight in our community,” said Broome County Legislature Chairman Dan Reynolds. “We’ll continue to invest in making sure that our communities are free from dilapidated and condemned structures. Thank you to the Broome County Land Bank and our municipal leaders throughout Broome County who constantly work to identify and address the safety concerns these dangerous buildings pose.”

“As a longtime resident of Endicott’s Northside, I’m pleased to partner with the Land Bank to continue to address blight in our community and improve our Little Italy neighborhood, which has so many good things to offer both in dining and entertainment,” said Broome County Legislator and Majority Leader Matt Pasquale. “Thank you to the Land Bank, County Executive Jason Garnar, Legislature Chairman Dan Reynolds and all of my colleagues in the Legislature for their support of this important demolition project.”

119 Oak Hill Avenue is the final of six projects the Land Bank is undertaking in their 2023 round one of county-wide demolitions. 6400 NYS Route 79 in the Town of Fenton, 10137 NYS Route 79 in the Town of Lisle, 126 Second Street in the Village of Deposit, 25 N. Baldwin Street and 179 Floral Avenue in the Village of Johnson City were demolished over the past several weeks. The total cost of all demolitions will be $94,600.

The Landfill tipping fees for the disposal of the demolition debris are being waived under a Broome County program that assists municipalities and organizations such as the Land Bank address blight in the community.  Gorick Construction Company, Inc. of Binghamton, NY is the demolition contractor for these projects and Keystone Material Testing of Binghamton, NY is providing environmental testing and project management services.

Partial funding for this round of projects is being provided through the Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative, which is a program administered by Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., and funded by the Office of the New York State Attorney General using negotiated bank settlement funds. Additionally, the Land Bank will be utilizing a portion of their American Rescue Plan Act “ARPA” grant provided by Broome County to fund these projects.

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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