Three of the six pieces of legislation on the Common Council’s agenda Wednesday focus on property transfers — two for brownfield redevelopment and another for sale of the former Moose Club lodge.
The council, which will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Martin Street train station in connection with the mayoral state of the city address, will take a new look at the attempt to sell the parcel at 337 W. Dominick St. The commercial building is assessed for $125,700, according to city records.
Earlier this year, the seven-member council unanimously defeated a proposal to purchase the former lodge and turn it into a restaurant. The rejected proposal was from Mark Schachtler to buy the property for $6,500. The vote came after councilors voiced concerns both with the proposed use and the sale price in relation to $82,000 in back taxes owed before the city foreclosed on the parcel.
The new proposal comes from William DiPaolo, who has offered $10,900 for the parcel. DiPaolo, 606 N. Madison St., is proposing the site as a home for his business, Entertainment Services, an audio, video, lighting, staging and event production company. It has rental, sales and installation components as well. His estimate is that he will put about $89,000 into the property for rehabilitation. The plan calls for relocation of 12 jobs from the current Rome location, "as well as creating about 12 new jobs from our recent buyouts in Boston and Long Island."
Also on the agenda are a pair of land transfers for $1 each. The deals cover two parcels the city intends to redevelop, and will use a non-profit specializing in development to do so.
The first is for an unnumbered parcel on Railroad Street, formerly known as the Rossi Site. The 2.6-acre vacant industrial site is assessed for $50,700. The legislation does not specify which non-profit agency will take over the parcel for development deals, but it will likely be either the Rome Industrial Development Corp. or the Rome Community Brownfield Restoration Corp. The site is at the corner of Railroad Street and Harbor Way, on the opposite side of Harbor Way from the American Alloy Steel building.
The other transfer is of Old City Hall at 207 N. James St. to the Rome Community Brownfield Restoration Corp. for development. The city recently accepted proposals from developers for the site. Three — all with takes on mixed residential-commercial uses — submitted plans. The administration has put a team together to review those proposals, though no choices have been made yet. The team is the in-house Real Property Committee, Mayor Joseph R. Fusco Jr., three members of the Common Council (Kimberly A. Rogers, R-3; Ramona L. Smith, D-4; and Louis J. DiMarco Jr., D-7), as well as a group of citizens who all participate in various downtown development groups.
The three proposals under review are from:
¿ Venture Developers of Rome, headed by Steve Olney, who is in the construction business. The proposal is for several commercial spaces on the first floor, including a pub, and a boutique hotel in the upper floors.
¿ Stem Development of Camillus, led by native Roman and architect Paul Stemkoski. Then plan, called The Lofts at Old City Hall, focuses on residences, but includes first floor professional office space.
¿ YES Development of Rome, led by renovation specialist Matt Varughese. The proposal is a mix of commercial spaces and loft apartments.
The three developers estimate total project costs ranging from $1.3-$2.1 million. The city has already spent $166,000 at the site to shore up the aging building — a combination of Restore New York money and Urban Renewal Agency maintenance funds. To generate interest in private development, the city is leaning heavily on a state grant program: Restore New York. The program is offering up to $700,000 in reimbursements.
Old City Hall and the Rossi Site "represent a BOA (Brownfield Opportunity Area) Implementation Strategy in action," noted Christian Mercurio of the city’s Department of Community and Economic Development. "Rome is in Step Three of the Area-Wide Brownfield Planning process, and the methodology has proven effective."
The redevelopment is not just for the vacant sites, Mercurio noted. "Remember, we are not just talking brownfields — we are dealing with the neighborhoods affected by brownfields. This includes East Dominick, the waterfront, and the Fort Stanwix National Monument corridor. Not only are we cleaning up the sites, we are working with residents and businesses to improve infrastructure, homes, and commercial properties using sustainable, smart growth models." The City has secured over $17 million in public and private investment in the BOA since 2008, resulting in redevelopment of sites like General Cable, the Rod Mill site and the Grand. "The objective," he said, "is create value where, previously, there was nothing but blight and decay."
