Watertown applying for Restore New York funds for YMCA, Factory Square projects

Craig Fox, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read
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Jan. 23—WATERTOWN — The public will have a chance to give input on the city's plans to apply for Restore New York funding for the ongoing YMCA project and turning three vacant Factory Square buildings into 130 apartments.

A special meeting has been set for 6 p.m. Wednesday for separate public hearings on the latest round of funding from the Restore New York Communities Initiative, a state program focused on revitalizing commercial and residential properties and promoting neighborhood growth through the redevelopment of blighted lots.

The applications are due Friday and the funding would be awarded this spring.

"We're certainly optimistic that both projects would be funded," said Michael A. Lumbis, the city's planning and community development director.

The developers are putting together the Restore NY applications, and the city will submit them to the state. The city's planning department has worked on the applications.

Last year, the City Council promised to seek $2 million in state funding to help fund the YMCA's $27.5-million downtown community center project.

Work continues to progress on the YMCA project to turn a former call center at 146 Arsenal St. into a natatorium with a six-lane lap pool and adjacent recreational pool, multi-sport courts, indoor track, wellness center, classrooms and child watch facilities. A groundbreaking was held over the summer.

The project is slated to be completed in late fall. It has already received $12.6 million in state and federal funds.

Last fall, City Council members endorsed efforts to apply for up to $10 million on behalf of Rochester developer Greenleaf Builders to turn the former Black River Paper Co. at 629 Factory St. into 110 "workforce" — moderate-income — units.

Plans also call for renovating 567 and 571 Fairbanks St. into 28 market-rate apartments and a one-story structure into commercial space.

The cost of that redevelopment would be approximately $32 million and $10 million is the maximum amount that can be awarded to an individual project.

If the application is successful, the Factory Square renovations would come under the designation as a special Restore New York project.

In December, the city was successful in obtaining $1.35 million in the latest round of Restore New York funding for a project to demolish a dilapidated building at 75-79 Public Square and constructing a new four-story mixed-use building.

Developers Michael Pierce and Kenneth Bodah have been working on their Public Square project for a few years.

Another Watertown project in the former Globe Building was not funded in December.