Oval Wood Dish redevelopment receives $3M funding boost from the state
By James M. Odato
The state is granting another $3 million to the group planning to develop affordable housing and business space in the long-vacant Oval Wood Dish factory in Tupper Lake.
The plan has been to create dozens of housing units of one- and two-bedroom rentals for people at 30% to 90% of the area median income. The plan has changed over time – at one time 70-80 units were envisioned and with commercial space for a brewery.
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The factory building, dating to the early 20th century, was the workplace for hundreds of villagers. The Oval Wood grounds exceeded 100,000 acres of timber harvested for the factory to make wooden dishes, spoons, tongue depressors and bowling pins, according to Housing Visions.
The plant closed in 2008 and much of the acreage was sold to the proposed developers of the Adirondack Club and Resort, a giant upscale housing and recreation project that didn’t get built near the former downhill center, Big Tupper. A form of the project is still under consideration by an investor if he can secure rights to the property.
The Pro-Housing Communities Initiative award is expected to launch the delayed development in the village’s downtown. It is supposed to help plug a gap between the private and public funds already gathered by the Lahinch Group of Syracuse and the increased cost since the redevelopment project was announced in 2021.
The funds, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced, are part of $123 million the state is spending to stimulate housing statewide.
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Lahinch leader Joseph Gehm said the money was critical to complete the financing needed. “This puts us one step closer to getting a shovel in the ground this spring,” Gehm said.
His group and Housing Visions Consultants Inc. intend to redevelop a blighted former manufacturing facility into a mixed-use building. It is part of Tupper Lake’s downtown revitalization initiative, Empire State Development said in its description.
The project will include affordable housing, commercial space and other square-footage for business. The apartments are much needed for workforce and growth, said Mayor Mary Fontana.
“They were really hoping they would receive the award so they could lift the project off the ground,” she said. “There’s no way this won’t be a heavy-hitting impact on the community.”
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She called the project transformative and with the expectation it will stimulate more investment in the region. “It’s the opposite of the broken window theory when you improve such a landmark in the community.”
The developers had already received substantial public support, including tax credits for low-income housing. The $1.2 million in federal tax credits will stimulate more than $10 million in equity and $500,000 in state tax credits will generate $3.5 million in equity, state officials said.
Also, $10.2 million in tax credits were awarded through the New York State Historic Preservation Office.
Other support, according to state officials, includes $5.2 million in Housing Trust Fund subsidies; $2.1 million in HOME Investment Partnerships program funds; $1.9 million through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative program; and $1.4 million from the New Construction Program.
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Gehm said his group has sought construction bids for the project, which is more than $20 million in investment, and found they were shy of about $5 million in financing needs because borrowing and construction costs rose.
Related reading: Public auction for Big Tupper ski center moving forward
Brutal.
That’s great, give taxpayers money to the developers, what could go wrong with that? The people shouldn’t have to subsidize the developers so they can make all the profits.
No, you wouldn’t think so, but making a profit here in the NC is often dubious at best. In a different area, developers would be lining up and the locality could decide on the highest bidder! How long is the line for this project?
This like any other project should be able to stand on its own without any taxpayer funding–maybe a 1st year tax break to get it off the ground but no cash! It just keeps happening and the Gov makes it sound like it is her money to throw around. Where is the legislative oversight and what has it been doing in this state–you know the state that government kicks in hundreds of millions-maybe billions-for a non domed football stadium in one of the snowiest parts of the sate!!
No reasonable chance of private funding/profitability then don’t build it. Now, if the plan was to make it a manufacturing site–like maybe wooden bowls–that would bring along jobs and a new taxpayer then, yes, give them a couple of years worth of tax breaks but no outright cash!
Boy do we need a DOGE here in NYS!
No, we very much do NOT need an unofficial and brutal DOGE culture in the Adirondacks. Moving fast and breaking things? No thanks, even with such a delicate proposal as this.
PS: The DOGEites you admire have no interest in a town, its business health, or the general welfare of neighborhoods and people.
An outfit that is DODG-like, meaning its purpose is to weed out wastes, assure our tax money is doing what it is supposed to and no ones pockets are being stuffed with taxpayer goodies. If you think differently then we just disagree. I was taught to not cheat others.
Yes, an oversight outfit is needed throughout NYS-which is what I noted. A real state ethics type group could do a lot and should be–someone needs to stop the handouts like the big sports stadium which should not be publicly funded especially if the Governors’ husband stands to gain from the concessions, etc.
What makes one think this project is so ‘delicate’ and others not?
If an oversight group does not have the best interests of its constituents at heart then they would need to go.
Re the article itself, apparently at one time a wooden bowl factory was profitable–maybe if done correctly it could be once again—or a similar small business venture.
I don’t as you say, admire DOGE but do admire the elimination of waste and corruption and if a few things get broken along the way, well , then that is part of the process.
Hopefully, tariffs on Canadian building materials won’t side-track the project.
Give the money to Elon so he can build houses on Mars!
$1.2 million in federal tax credits
$500,000 in state tax credits
$10.2 million in tax credits were awarded through the New York State Historic Preservation Office.
$5.2 million in Housing Trust Fund subsidies
$2.1 million in HOME Investment Partnerships program funds
$1.9 million through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative program
$1.4 million from the New Construction Program.
$3 million in state Pro-Housing Communities Initiative award
total: $25.5 million
“Gehm said his group has sought construction bids for the project, which is more than $20 million in investment, and found they were shy of about $5 million in financing needs because borrowing and construction costs rose. ”
So, a free apartment complex for them to collect rent from forever? How do I get in on that? Oh, I’m not already rich. Maybe my math is wrong but it’s pulled directly from this article.
Or, we could let the site crumble. How many millions would it cost to raze the structures for public safety? How many better options do we have?
Letting it crumble may be an extreme end of the options. We (the taxpayers) could give the $25M to Tupper Lake or a non-profit such as a Land Trust so that the rent money could be reinvested into the local community. That would be shouted down as “communism” though so it is definitely better to give the money to non-local developer that will siphon all the rent out of the area and looks to have a very nice business model of using public funds to enrich themselves (google it)
Look at it, it is already crumbling. Is this site really something that could be re-developed? I hope so, but I am doubtful. It all looks like a brown site, not sure people should be living anywhere near that?
So how much will proper razing and site remediation cost, if needed? And still no new housing.
The point is, neither path will be inexpensive. One would think Tupper would have run the numbers by now. Assuming APA does their job, no permits will be issued if it is indeed a toxic site. Any potential developers likely won’t wait 20 years.
Quite the pickle.
Another misuse of taxpayer funds ! The OWD site has been a blight for decades. There are no other bidders for this possibly seriously contaminated site, no other plans just misplaced optimism and what I know to be special state grants for future development. The grand total is really 25 million, not the 10 million I knew with all the tax subsidies etc. I do not live in Tupper Lake but close enough to get angry every time I see the site. Add Big Tupper to the mix and you could really be upset.
it cost 100 million to rehab an eyesore shuttered factory site into businesses and living area for local residents in my town and it is a huge success for needed living spaces and attracting people to the area. While the developers put up a lot of money, some came from the community and government but for our town, the result is way better than before. Give it a shot. unless you want to keep staring at the rundown site. It is hard to attract people to an area that is low on places to live and does not look desirable.
I don’t mind the investment by the government to improve the rural economy and provide housing for low-income people. I don’t mind that the developers make a profit, but after the developers realized a reasonable return for their effort and investment, the rest should go back to the community and savings should be made to ensure the buildings have sufficient money for repairs and maintenance, both short and long term.
The entire sight is toxic.
Cancer causing toxins in the soil at the sight..
Been leaching into Raquette pond for years making everyone sick .