Senior Housing Planned in Binghamton Univ. Building in JC

A new use is being considered for a former industrial building in downtown Johnson City.

Mayor Martin Meaney said the First Ward Action Council wants to develop a senior housing component in the large structure once owned by Ozalid Corporation.

The two-acre site is part of the Binghamton University Health Sciences campus that extends to the west along Corliss Avenue.

In 2019, university president Harvey Stenger said there were plans to renovate the Ozalid building for future use for manufacturing pharmaceutical products.

Meaney told WNBF News the First Ward Action Council is seeking to have the site rezoned so it could be used as a senior housing complex.

The mayor said there also would be an "educational component" involving Binghamton University.

Meaney said he believes the senior housing would be a good fit with other recent developments in that section of Johnson City. He noted a senior wellness center operated by Lourdes and the university is expected to open across the street from the site soon.

The mayor said the housing project would bring more people to the village's downtown district and continue the redevelopment efforts in the area.

The Johnson City village board has scheduled a public hearing for next week on the rezoning request for the property. The proposal calls for changing the zoning from industrial to general business. The hearing is to be held at the village hall at 7:30 p.m. on June 20.

First Ward Action Council executive director Jerry Willard could not be reached to discuss details of the proposed project.

A Binghamton University representative was unable to provide information about the revised plans for the former Ozalid building.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.