Mayor Kraham Provides Update on Bing. Plaza

Mayor Kraham Provides Update on Binghamton Plaza Revitalization Efforts

City Prepares to Take Title to North Side Eyesore

(BINGHAMTON, N.Y.)-Mayor Jared M. Kraham on Wednesday provided an update on the City's efforts to revitalize the Binghamton Plaza site on the North Side.

Mayor Kraham said: "For the first time in decades, the Binghamton Plaza site has hope and a positive future. Pre-demolition work is underway, and we're setting out to build a detailed, community-driven plan of action for redevelopment of the property. It's a pivotal moment for Binghamton's North Side and an exciting opportunity to transform a longtime eyesore in a way that benefits our entire region."

Vesting Date Set, Pre-Demolition Work Underway

Mayor Kraham said the City will take title to 33 West State Street, the site of the Binghamton Plaza, in early March. The vesting date comes about a year and a half after the City won its eminent domain case against the plaza's owners in June 2024.

The City has hired Colliers Engineering and Design, of Binghamton, for environmental testing, demolition design and related engineering services at the site. Colliers will also develop bid specifications for the plaza's demolition.

City Council authorized an $83,000 contract with the firm for the work last month.

City to Conduct Feasibility Study/Site Redevelopment Plan

Mayor Kraham on Wednesday also announced the City has selected MKSK, a planning firm based in Rochester, to lead the development of a feasibility study and redevelopment plan for the Binghamton Plaza site following demolition.

The work will identify economic development opportunities and evaluate market conditions, economic impacts, job creation potential, infrastructure needs, zoning requirements and funding opportunities for the site.

MKSK will lead continued community engagement efforts, with additional outreach planned to residents, businesses and other stakeholders.

The firm was one of four interviewed by a City review committee following a request for qualifications late last year.

Their work will be supported by a $75,000 Empire State Development (ESD) grant the City received last year through the State's Strategic Planning and Feasibility Studies (SPFS) program to advance redevelopment planning at the Binghamton Plaza site.

Legislation for the City to accept the grant funds and enter into a contract with MKSK will go to City Council for approval later this month.

City Continues to Work With Existing Businesses on Relocation

The City is continuing to work with existing businesses in the plaza on relocation and next steps ahead of demolition.

Popular business New York Pizzeria has identified a new location in Binghamton and will begin the process of relocating this spring.

Two outbuildings on the parcel, a day care and a convenience store, are not included in demolition plans at this time.

Mayor Kraham first announced the City would pursue eminent domain actions to gain control of the long-blighted Binghamton Plaza in 2022.

The New York Supreme Court Appellate Division issued an unanimous decision siding with the City in the case two years later.

Last year, representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Department of State and NJIT's Technical Assistance to Brownfields team joined the City to host a public engagement session on the future of the Binghamton Plaza and provide the community with information on the process for redevelopment of formerly contaminated sites.

In 2015, plaza owners worked with the DEC to complete cleanup activities at the site, a former municipal landfill, and address contamination through the State's Brownfield Cleanup Program. The City will work closely with Colliers to determine if additional cleanup should be completed to allow for enhanced redevelopment options.

The City allocated $2 million to support demolition later that year, and funds for the property acquisition were approved by City Council at their January 14^th Business Meeting.