#2 Mill Site Re-Development - "New York Mills Senior Center" (2008 LGAA)

Village of New York Mills (Winner)
County: Oneida County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 736-9212

The Village of New York Mills transformed their former #2 Mill (1 of 3 Mills that gave the village its name) into low income senior housing and a much needed community center. The #2 Mill, which was on the national registry of historic places, was vacant for years, and was not only an eyesore, but also a major safety issue. With the help of community members and organizations, the Village was able to turn the former Mill #2 into a new complex that greatly resembles the former building. Bricks and stones from the former Mill are incorporated into the new building, bringing back some of its history.

The new complex has 29 one-bedroom and 4 two-bedroom apartments, all of which are completely occupied. The first floor houses a state-of-the-art community center used by many groups, including the 330 members of the New York Mills Seniors Inc. Out in front of the complex is a September 11th memorial park.

This project proved that all levels of government, community members, and organizations can work together successfully when you share a common goal. The complete revitalization of this historical building provided 33 units of low income housing for seniors in need. It also put several village homes on the market when the senior residents moved out, allowing for new families to move into the community and settle in these homes.

The Village of New York Mills sold the property to the not-for-profit developer, Liberty Affordable Housing and entered into a PILOT agreement for the payment of property taxes. The Village contributed $425,000 to this project financed through capital improvement bonds, and requested $400,000 in CDBG funds from the Small Cities grant program. Liberty arranged for the construction start-up financed primarily from two sources-- HOME funds totaling $1,488,130 from the NYS Housing Trust Fund and Low Income Housing Tax Credits in the amount of $1,923,826.