City of Binghamton, New York

First Ward Neighborhood BOA: Pre-Nomination Study

First Ward Neighborhood BOA: Pre-Nomination Study

[Note: This project site is no longer being updated as the Pre-Nomination Study phase for the First Ward BOA is complete. For current updates, refer back to the main First Ward Neighborhood BOA page here.]

The First Ward Redevelopment Plan is a community planning initiative facilitated by the Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development, and funded by a Brownfield Opportunity Area grant from the New York State Division of Coastal Resources. 

The Redevelopment Plan is a three phase, multi-year initiative, and currently in its first stage, which is known as the Pre-Nomination Study.  The Pre-Nomination Study provides a preliminary description and analysis of the proposed project. 

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Who is the Project Team?

The Steering Committee and staff from the City's Department of Planning, Housing, and Community Development are working with consultants from Bergmann Associates to develop the pre-nomination study.

Citizen Participation Plan

The purpose of the Community Participation Plan is to describe the manner in which local community members, project partners, and stakeholders will be incorporated into the planning process.  The Community Participation Plan serves as a guide for community involvement, and is subject to change throughout the course of the planning process as other opportunities for community participation may be identified.  Public input is critical to the planning process to ensure that local citizens have the opportunity to shape the future of their community. 

  • Click here to download a copy of the Citizen Participation Plan. 

Maps

  • Click here for a map of the project boundary and existing land use within the project boundary. 

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is composed of public and private stakeholders.  The Steering Committee will oversee the process in cooperation with the City and the Consultant. 

The Steering Committee members are:

Marylou Rutkowski First Ward Neighborhood Assembly
Michael Rizzo First Ward Neighborhood Assembly
Joel Boyd City Dept. of Economic Development
George Cummings First Ward Business
Frank Evangelisti  Broome County Planning Department
Stacy Merola  Environmental Management Council
Tom Pollak  First Ward Business & PC Member
Steve Sedlock  First Ward Business & CDAC Member
Richard Tarnowski  First Ward Business
Robert Weslar  City Council Member
Jerry Willard  First Ward Action Council

 

Public Meetings

 

At the regularly scheduled First Ward Neighborhood Assembly meeting held on July 14, 2009 at the First Ward Senior Center, there was a presentation on the First Ward Redevelopment Plan. (Click here for the handout and click here to see the presentation).  The consultant presented information about brownfields and the First Ward Redevelopment Plan.  Following the presentation there was a Community Visioning Session, which is a citizen-based process by which the community defines the future it wants.

  • Click here to read the Community Comments that were shared during the visioning process. 

A second public meeting was held on Thursday, October 15th at 7:00pm at the First Ward Senior Center, 226 Clinton Street. Click here to view the minutes from the second public meeting. 

The third and final public meeting of Step 1 was held Monday, February 15th at 6:00pm in the Boys & Girls Club, 90 Clinton Street. Click here to view the minutes from the third public meeting. 

Stakeholder Meetings

A series of Stakeholder Meetings was held in City Hall on September 16, 2009.  Participants had an opportunity to discuss their vision for the First Ward, strengths and challenges of living and working in the First Ward, and opportunities to foster and improve quality of life in the First Ward. 

  • Click here to read a summary of comments from City Leaders and Agencies.
  • Click here to read a summary of comments from Community Service Organizations. 

Draft Pre-nomination Study

Two drafts of the Pre-nomination Study were developed by the consultant in partnership with the Steering Committee and the Planning Divisions. 

  • Click here to find the 1st draft of the pre-nomination study. 
  • Click here to find the 2nd draft of the pre-nomination study. 

Final Pre-Nomination Study and Next Steps

The final Pre-Nomination Study contains a description of the proposed project, boundary, and public participation process.  It also contains a preliminary analysis of the project area and a draft vision statement.  The final Pre-Nomination Study can be accessed by following the links on the right side of this page. 

Next Steps

In December 2009, the City of Binghamton submitted an application for project advancement to the Step 2 - Nomination. The City was awarded $347,000 in May 2011. The Nomination consists of an in-depth analysis, including an economic and market trends analysis, of existing conditions, opportunities, and reuse potential for properties located within the BOA. There is an emphasis on the identification and reuse potential of strategic brownfield sites that can serve as catalysts for revitalization.