Authorizes the commissioner of general services to transfer real property from the St. Lawrence psychiatric center to the city of Ogdensburg

Title of bill

An act authorizing the commissioner of general services to convey real property at the St. Lawrence psychiatric center to the city of Ogdensburg

Purpose

To convey certain surplus land at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center to the city of Ogdensburg.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 authorizes the Commissioner of General Services to convey certain specified land and improvements situated thereon, at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center, to the city of Ogdensburg.

Section 2 describes the parcels of land at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center which are to be conveyed to the city of Ogdensburg.

Section 3 provides that any subsequent solicitation for the residential development by the city of Ogdensburg on Parcel B as described in § two of this act shall include a requirement that the development will provide at least 15% of proposed rental dwelling units to the Office of Mental Health recipients in need of supporting housing. Certain matters relating to this conveyance shall be determined pursuant to a memorandum of understanding between the city of Ogdensburg and the Commission of the Office of Mental Health.

Section 4 provides that the commissioner of general services shall not grant the land description in § two of this act unless application and improvements is made by the city of Ogdensburg within one year after the effective date of this act.

Section 5 provides that the Commission of the Office of General Services shall not grant the land described in § two of this act unless application is made by the city of Ogdensburg within one year after the effective date of this act.

Section 6 is the effective date.

Justification

The St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center campus covers more than 400 acres, including extensive frontage along the beautiful St. Lawrence River, and access to highways and a major international border crossing. Over the course of several decades, core services at the facility have been centralized in just a few of the more than 100 buildings at the site, and much of the land remains vacant and unused, excluded from development and removed from local tax rolls.

Community leaders have long recognized the development potential for this unused land and buildings, and the City of Ogdensburg proposes to begin a long-term revitalization program utilizing these neglected assets. Development of these parcels would transform underutilized eyesores into major community assets that can help revitalize the North Country's economy and serve as a model for the rest of the state. The City envisions redeveloping approximately 160 acres of surplus properties and buildings, arranged in four distinct sites across the campus, for mixed use residential, recreational, commercial and industrial purposes. Because the success of such an ambitious redevelopment plan will rely on full support and aggressive action by local community stakeholders, the City seeks transfer of these parcels from the state. One needs only to look at other recent examples to understand why local control is critical to the success of redevelopment efforts involving underused government-owned assets. Two such examples involve the former Griffiss Air Force Base, and Governor's Island near Lower Manhattan, where local control is allowing redevelopment after years of delay. Such a visionary redevelopment effort would benefit Northern New York and St. Lawrence County by attracting significant private investment, creation of hundreds of construction and permanent jobs, and returning hundreds of acres of now-exempt property to local tax rolls.

Legislative history

2014: S.6661 - Referred to Local Government / A.8943 - Referred to Governmental Operations

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.