The former Parker school building on Madison Street in the city of Cortland. (Photo provided by Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
A presentation on the potential redevelopment of the former Parker School building will be held this week.
The presentation is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the former Parker School building on Madison Street in the city of Cortland.
The Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) – a non-profit organization “dedicated to expanding housing opportunities for low and moderate-income residents” of Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Schuyler, Seneca, Tioga, and Tompkins Counties – will conduct the presentation.
INHS’s presentation will be on quality housing for modest income workers and people with intellectual, developmental and mobility needs, detailing on the organization’s proposed plans for the former school building.
Beyond the proposal for workforce housing, Cortland mayor Scott Steve told The Cortland Voice recently that INHS is considering options for beneficial use of space beyond its proposal.
This includes a spot for child care in the building, but Steve added it depends on INHS getting a provider to work with them.
Cortland recently received $2 million from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $112.9 million Restore New York Communities Initiative. The grant funding will be put towards the redevelopment of the school building into workforce housing units.
Steve noted the “good” use of grant funding, aiding in much-needed repairs of the building.
After the Cortland Enlarged City School District (CECSD) sold the building to the city for $91 in 2021, the former elementary school structure was in line to be the home of the Cortland Community Early Learning Center (CCELC).
The CCELC would have consolidated early childhood education services provided by the local YWCA and CAPCO into one building. The project, however, was halted and eventually “no longer pursued,” (announced in Sept. 2022) due to inflated construction costs.
Steve noted that he and the city spent over a year trying to find uses for the former school building. This led to the city putting out a request-for-proposal, only receiving a response from the INHS.
“We’ve got to keep trying,” Steve said. “We have to do the best we can to try and make this work.”
Thursday’s meeting is open to the public. Those who cannot attend the meeting can view it via Zoom (Meeting ID: 9235664700).
