The Gillette Skirt Factory building on Stockton Place in Cortland. A project for the building recently received grant funding for preservation and renovations. The building will turn into loft apartments and office spaces in the near future. (Photo Source: Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
The city of Cortland will receive $1.5 million through the RestoreNY grant, conducted by Gov. Kathy Hochul, to preserve and renovate the 117-year old Gillette Skirt Factory building, according to a release.
The project is led by Chris Calabro, owner of Calabro Properties and Cortland Apartments. Calabro noted in the release that preservation and renovation work is expected to begin in the fall of next year.
“This project wouldn’t be possible without the support of Mayor Steve, the Common Council and city agencies,” Calabro said. “Preserving this historic building and restoring it for residential and business use will help the revitalization efforts underway along a major city inlet.”
The Gillette Skirt Factory is a major piece of the Homer Avenue Gateway Project, a future project with plans for repair and construction work along the long city street. It includes improvements to the roadway, and updates to the water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure.
“The Gillette Factory building is a vital part of the City of Cortland’s history, and its preservation and renewal is a vital part of the Homer Avenue Gateway Project,” City mayor Scott Steve said.
HISTORY OF THE GILLETTE SKIRT FACTORY
According to the release, the factory was:
“...the first block building constructed in the city and has a link to Theodore Dreiser's novel ‘An American Tragedy’ and the 1951 movie ‘A Place in the Sun,’ starring Montgomery Clift & Elizabeth Taylor. The stories portray the real life murder of Gillette Skirt Factory worker Grace Brown by the factory owner’s nephew, Chester Gillette.”
ABOUT THE RESTORE NEW YORK COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE
Restore New York funding is awarded for projects involving the demolition, deconstruction, rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of vacant, abandoned, condemned and surplus properties. The city has submitted an application for additional state funding through a new round of Restore New York grants for the vacant shopping plaza on Homer Avenue.
