The Brandywine Corridor Brownfield Opportunity Area Nomination Study Binghamton, New York Broome County December 2010 Revised January 2011 Final Revision November 2013 Prepared By: This document was prepared for Broome County and the New York State Department of State with state funds provided through the Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program. The Brandywine Corridor Brownfield Opportunity Area Nomination Study Acknowledgements This Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Nomination Study was developed in partnership with Broome County, the City of Binghamton, the NYS Department of State, Community Stakeholders, Residents and Property Owners. The dedicated members of the Steering Committee provided invaluable guidance and input through this process. Steering Committee (alphabetical by name) Name Affiliation Richard D’Attilio Broome County Industrial Development Agency Gail Domin Broome County Dept of Planning & Economic Development Beth Egitto Broome County Dept of Planning & Economic Development Pam Eshbaugh NYS Department of Transportation Frank Evangelisti Broome County Dept of Planning & Economic Development Darcy Fauci Broome County Deputy County Executive Jason Garner Broome County Legislature Steven Gayle Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study Philip Hampton Neighborhood Resident Merry Harris City of Binghamton Economic Development Mark Hotchkiss EMS Technologies Kenneth Kamlet Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP Mike Maciak Robinson Street Plaza Stacy Merola Broome County Environmental Management Council Elaine Miller NYS Department of State Mary O’Reilly NYS Department of Transportation Rita Petkash Broome County Dept of Planning & Economic Development Gary Priscott NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Region 7 Caroline Quidort City of Binghamton Department of Planning Phil Stanton Neighborhood Resident Michael Venuti Triple Cities Acquisition, LLC/Cook Brothers Lea Webb Binghamton City Council Amelia LoDolce City of Binghamton Department of Planning The Brandywine Corridor Brownfield Opportunity Area Nomination Study Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ i A. BROWNFIELD OPPORTUNITY AREA PROGRAM .................................................................................. 1 B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................................................... 3 C. PROJECT BOUNDARY AND JUSTIFICATION .......................................................................................... 7 D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN & ENGAGING PARTNERS .................................................................... 10 E. ANALYSIS OF THE BROWNFIELD OPPORTUNITY AREA ....................................................................... 16 COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL SETTING .............................................................................................................. 16 EXISTING LAND USE ...................................................................................................................................... 19 ZONING ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 EXISTING ECONOMIC DISTRICTS AND DESIGNATIONS ........................................................................................... 30 POTENTIAL PRIORITY SITES ............................................................................................................................. 31 LAND OWNERSHIP ........................................................................................................................................ 48 PARKS AND OPEN SPACE ................................................................................................................................ 48 HISTORIC OR ARCHEOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT AREAS ........................................................................................... 52 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS ............................................................................................................................ 52 INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITY ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................... 57 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES ....................................................................................... 58 ECONOMIC AND MARKET TRENDS ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................... 62 F. COMMUNITY VISION AND GOALS .................................................................................................... 72 VISION STATEMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 72 GOALS ........................................................................................................................................................ 72 G. PREFERRED FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO ............................................................................... 74 H. PRIORITY ACTIONS ITEMS & RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................... 77 PRIORITY ACTIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 78 GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................................ 83 The Brandywine Corridor Brownfield Opportunity Area Nomination Study Executive Summary Executive Summary Community and Project Overview and Description The Brandywine Brownfield Opportunity Area is located in the heart of the City of Binghamton, Broome County, New York. Broome County is a part of the Southern Tier of New York State, and Binghamton functions as the educational, social, and cultural center of the greater region. The City of Binghamton has a population of 42,385 (2006-2008 American Communities Survey) and is the largest municipality in Broome County, which has a population of 195,479 (2006-2008 ACS). The region thrived as a technological, aerospace, and defense center for decades. It continues to attract and retain companies and a workforce centered on these industries. Education, health care, food service and distribution, and insurance are other major employment sectors in the Binghamton area. The Brandywine BOA consists of just over 100 acres of land adjacent to the interchange between Interstate 81 and State Route 7. The Corridor is bounded by the Brandywine Highway (NYS Route 7) and NYS Route 363 on the west, railroad lines to the south and east, and Bevier Street to the north. The Brandywine BOA is characterized by a mix of mostly commercial and industrial uses, with a pocket of residential, in the heart of Binghamton, New York. Nearly 28% of the parcels in the study area are vacant or abandoned. Public Participation & Engaging Partners The goal of the public participation during this project was to foster communication, create a sense of ownership and build trust between the public, Broome County, the City of Binghamton, and regulatory agencies during the course of the BOA study. The public participation plan achieved the following three objectives: 1. Collected information from the public regarding the study area. 2. Provided opportunities for the public to voice issues, concerns and opportunities. i The Brandywine Corridor Brownfield Opportunity Area Nomination Study 3. Provided an opportunity for the public to contribute their perspective in the development of the Brandywine Corridor Brownfield Opportunity Area. To gather input, two public meetings, including a visioning session, were held. Attendance of these meetings was encouraged through direct mail to residents of the Corridor. In addition, we conducted interviews of various stakeholders and held numerous steering committee meetings. Community Vision ‐ Goals and Objectives As a result of the extensive public participation process, the community developed the following vision for the Brandywine Corridor: The Brandywine Corridor is an important gateway to the City of Binghamton and Broome County that is currently characterized by an aging industrial area with many vacant or underused properties with environmental challenges. The community seeks to promote high quality urban design and quality of life while leveraging existing assets, including transportation infrastructure, to sustainably redevelop and revitalize the area to generate a positive impact on the region’s economy. Partnerships with local, state and regional agencies as well as the private sector and educational institutions will be the key to a successful redevelopment of the corridor. To achieve this vision, four broad goals have been established: 1. Environmental Constraints: Work with partners to address any real or perceived environmental contamination within the study area by assessing and quantifying the extent of and cost for remediation as well as the barriers to future redevelopment. 2. Physical Conditions: Capitalize upon and improve the existing transportation and infrastructure assets serving the study area. 3. Economic Conditions: Enhance and expand economic development opportunities within the study area to support the redevelopment, not only of the study area, but of adjacent neighborhoods, the City and greater Broome County