Johnson City, NY – The Broome County Land Bank Corporation announced the demolition of 25 N. Baldwin Street in the Village of Johnson City.  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 for District 12 Louie Augostini, Village of Johnson City Trustee John Walker, and other officials to commemorate the event.

In 2022, the Land Bank acquired 25 N. Baldwin Street from Broome County which had foreclosed on the property due to non-payment of taxes. The property is located a few blocks from Northside Park in Johnson City. Directly affected by the 2006 and 2011 floods, this single-family structure has sat vacant for several years leading to severe neglect and significant structural issues. The property has been condemned as unsafe by the Village of Johnson City Code Enforcement Office. The Village of Johnson City is assisting with the cost of demolition.

“The demolition of 25 North Baldwin Street is another great example of partnerships between the Land Bank and our municipalities,” said Broome County Land Bank Executive Director Jessica Haas. “Brought to our attention by Village officials and supported by our County partners, we’re glad to play a role in removing this dangerous eyesore from our community. The Land Bank appreciates the Village’s support of $3,000 in grant funds towards this project. We would also like to thank Broome County for their $300,000 ARPA funding contribution towards our demolition program that has made this project a reality.”

“This property has been in significant decline after sustaining damage during both the 2006 and 2011 floods,” said Broome County Executive Jason Garnar. “Thank you to the Broome County Land Bank for working to demolish this dangerous eyesore, which will improve the neighborhood for both residents and visitors to nearby Northside Park. I also appreciate the cooperation of the County Legislature and the Village of Johnson City in making this project happen.”

“The start of this next 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.”

“We’re pleased to partner with the Broome County Land Bank and the Village of Johnson City to remove this dangerous structure,” said Broome County Legislator Louie Augostini. “I’ll continue to support the work of the Broome County Land Bank to address blight in our neighborhoods and ensure that they’re safe places for our families to live.”

“The Village of Johnson City wants to thank the Land Bank for their continued mission to help remove blighted properties from our neighborhoods,” said Village of Johnson City Mayor Martin Meaney. “The property at 25 North Baldwin Street has been an eyesore for quite some time, and not only the Village Board, but the residents of this neighborhood are happy to see this structure razed. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Land Bank which will enable us to remove other blighted properties in the future from our community.”

25 N. Baldwin Street is the first of a series 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, 119 Oak Hill Avenue in the Village of Endicott, and 179 Floral Avenue in the Village of Johnson City will be demolished in the coming weeks. The total cost of all demolition projects 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, will be 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. Lastly, the Village of Johnson City passed a resolution allocating $3,000 toward the demolition of 25 N. Baldwin Street.

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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