CITY OF UTICA TO HOLD FIRST PUBLIC MEETING AS PART OF ITS BROWNFIELD OPPORTUNITY AREA NOMINATION STUDY

In its ongoing effort to continue economic development, the City of Utica is embarking on a Nomination Study under the New York State’s Department of State Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Program. The study is being funded through a nearly $200,000 grant from the State. The first opportunity for owners of businesses and properties within the proposed boundaries of the BOA, along with the general public, to comment on the Study will be Monday, February 28th at 5 PM. The meeting will be conducted virtually and may be accessed via the Study’s website: www.uticaboa.com.

The BOA Program is a State-funded program that provides financial and technical assistance to communities to complete area-wide planning initiatives that support community revitalization in areas that have been impacted by the presence of brownfield and/or underutilized sites. Brownfields are abandoned, idled or underutilized properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. The goal of the City’s Nomination Study is official designation as a Brownfield Opportunity Area, which provides access to additional State funding and assistance to return these sites to productive re-use.

The City’s proposed BOA boundaries include the Oriskany Street corridor, Bagg’s Square, the industrial areas along Leland and Wurz Avenues and the Broad Street corridor; a complete, interactive map can be viewed on the project website.

Mayor Palmieri stated, “The City has little to no ‘greenfield’ land available for development. Therefore, successful economic development for our future requires that we address contaminated sites – this Study is the first step in establishing such a process.”