A pair of Market Street buildings may soon be restored with the help of a state grant.
The city of Corning received a $1.47 million Restore New York grant Wednesday to help pay for renovations to the Centerway Commerce and Van Heusen buildings.
Steve Dennis, city director of planning and economic development, said the lion’s share of the grant – $850,000- will go toward rehabilitating the Centerway Commerce building.
The remaining $620,000 will be used to help upgrade the upper floors of the Van Heusen building.
City Manager Mark Ryckman said a tentative start date for the two projects has not been set.
“We’re hoping they begin by the end of the year,” Ryckman said.
State funds for the Centerway Commerce building will be coupled with $1.3 million in private funds to renovate the historic four-story building, located adjacent to Centerway Square.
The building, assessed at $605,600, is owned by LLC Centerway Commerce, which purchased the site in early 2004. Corning attorney George Welch has an interest in that group.
The Van Heusen building, located at 54 E. Market St., recently received $120,000 from a state Main Street grant to help fund the upper floor renovations. The building is owned by the family of the late Lori Gerstel.
The state grants were one of several announced Wednesday by State Sen. George Winner Jr., R-Elmira.
The Restore New York funding was received by several local municipalities including Bath, Horseheads and Watkins Glen.
Winner said the Restore New York program has proven a useful tool in sparking local economic development, creating local jobs and energizing community pride.
The village of Bath received a $1.18 million grant help pay for the restoration of the Masonic Temple, that borders Pulteney Square.
The funding will be coupled with $820,000 of private funding to renovate the aging building, said Tom Reed, owner of the Masonic Temple.
“We hope to break ground on the renovations before winter,” Reed said. “Obviously, I’m very pleased with the funding. It’s a great project in the heart of the village of Bath.”
The village of Horseheads received $380,576 to demolish the aging LRC building on South Avenue.
Horseheads Village Mayor Donald A. Zeigler said the vacant building will be razed.
“We need to open the land up and bring in something that fits the community,” Zeigler said.
The Restore New York program was created by the state Legislature as part of the 2006-07 state budget.
Corning, N.Y. —
