An historic dairy plant on Binghamton’s South Side is set to be transformed into a mixed-use housing project with waterfront views, Mayor Jared Kraham announced Friday.
The former Crowley dairy plant at 135 Conklin Ave. is being reimagined as Crowley Factory Lofts, a $13 million, 45-unit housing complex for market-rate apartments. The river front building’s second and third floors will be restored and filled with one and two bedroom units. The ground floor will be open for commercial space.
“This is the type of dynamic rehabilitation project this historic property deserves,” said Kraham. Crowley Factory Lofts will bring much-needed market-rate apartments geared toward young professionals and families — not students — and help preserve a true waterfront landmark in Binghamton.
The project is being led by Crowley Factory Lofts, LLC. The development group is partnering with the City of Binghamton on an application for funding from the Restore New York Communities Initiative aimed at helping municipalities revitalize blighted commercial and residential properties. Developer Jon Korchynsky also owns a mixed-use building at 25 Court St. in downtown Binghamton, across the street from Boscov’s.
The dairy plant has been vacant for five years. InstantWhip Foods Co., Ltd. and Mountain Fresh Dairy were the building’s last tenants.
“The Crowley Factory represents an opportunity to breathe new life into the Conklin Avenue neighborhood while eliminating a long-standing blighted property,” said Korchynsky.
Korchynsky’s development team has partnered with Johnson-Schmidt & Associates Architects to tackle the historic rehabilitation. The Corning architectural firm specializes in the preservation of historic properties and has extensive experience in managing large-scale projects with historic tax credit financing, according to a press release.
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The former Crowley Dairy Company building spans 73,000 square feet and was built in the early 1900s. A Binghamton staple for most of the 20th century, the HP Hood Dairy Company purchased the Crowley building in 2004 before later laying off employees and exiting Binghamton in 2012. Mountain Fresh Dairy acquired the property in 2013, but it was forced to shut down in 2017 due to financial difficulties.
Its strategic location on the Susquehanna River and Conklin Ave. corridor make it a perfect spot to add commercial and much-needed residential space and further redevelopment efforts on the South Side of Binghamton,” said Councilman Phil Strawn, 6th District.
Crowley Factory Lofts, LLC expects to close on the building and formally acquire the property in the next several weeks, said the mayor’s office. The proposed development will be subject to the approval of local planning boards and rezoning of the current industrial use of the parcels to commercial.