DRI "Durkee" project, financial threats loom over city

PLATTSBURGH | The City of Plattsburgh and Prime Plattsburgh LLC's smorgasbord of a residential-retail-commercial Durkee Street parking lot development ever remains an issue of contention throughout not only the city but Clinton County at large. A number of residents are "up in arms" over the handling of the project, particularly amidst pandemic-induced exacerbation of the widespread rural area's pre-existing economic struggles. A lawsuit is even in the process against the project, initiated by the Plattsburgh Citizens Coalition (PCC), which formed back in the summer of 2019—three years following the state's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award, of which the lot will claim $4.3 million. "Now is not the time to be supporting a multi-million dollar tax incentive to a corporation," vocalized Attorney Frank Zappala at a recent digital press conference hosted by the Plattsburgh Citizens Coalition, a group opposing this particular plan and process for revitalization. "The whole pilot program should be withdrawn until the tax revenue in this county and city has stabilized." He called the continuation of the project "reckless" in its potential to allow a multi-million dollar tax break to Prime Companies A.K.A. Prime Plattsburgh LLC, based in the Capital Region. Municipal budget evaluations continue The city continues to bemoan its near-$3 million budget deficit, has taken steps to lay off and furlough a combined 30 or so workers thus far while labeling and closing entire "non-essential" departments in its response to COVID-19. "That was a very painful process," said City of Plattsburgh Mayor Colin Read at a recent weekly press conference at City Hall. Clinton County has reacted similarly to the public health demands of this new age, furloughing 150 workers to help alleviate its own pandemic-related budget shortfalls. "We're expecting decreases of sales tax by 20 or 30 percent," said Read. Beyond this, the city expects to lose some of its Aid and Incentive for Municipalities (AIM) funding from the state, which will be re-evaluated a total of 3 times throughout the year. The city's AIM funding for the 2020 fiscal year would have been $2,648,880. "[New York State Association of Counties] NYSAC has said we need to be prepared for about a 50 percent reduction," Read added. Project planning and development ongoing With construction included within the Phase I re-opening for New York, project planning and development have continued throughout municipalities statewide, in spite of financial insecurities. The City of Plattsburgh's Zoning (ZBA) and Planning Boards have operated under their own specific sets of temporary guidelines in order to keep what they consider deemed-essential operations moving, having since furthered a number of local projects beyond DRI discussions. Two main issues of concern surrounding the Durkee project specifically are parking and size, according to the PCC, which recently organized a virtual press conference on Thurs., May 14. A Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement, the application still in process, facilitated by the County of Clinton Industrial Development Agency (IDA) will provide the developer with a significant tax break over time. Fear of repercussions, "gated community" Within the impending 114-unit multi-story, mixed-use Prime LLC development, one-bedroom apartments will start at $1,200 per month. At a recent press conference, recognizable PCC activists spoke out against the plan, as they have been known to do via the group's Facebook page and when public hearings have been permitted by the city, opposing Prime's project specifically, while supporting overall development. Former ZBA member of 35 years John Seiden has loudly vocalized his disagreement with how the DRI project has evolved and deviated from its original plans laid forth, calling it a "highjacking" of what could be a more promising project. Other representatives from the PCC say there's still time for the state-awarded grant monies to be repurposed, but Read says otherwise given pandemic progression. "With this current budget climate in Albany, I think it's pretty clear that that money is not going to be repurposed here. It's going to be repurposed to help pay for the $64 billion deficit that Albany expects over the next four years," Read claimed. "I think this is really a question of whether we want that investment ion the city or not. It's not at this point really a question of whether or not we like this project or not." The latest details concerning meetings, information and opinions surrounding the DRI project can be found at the City of Plattsburgh's official website and @plattsburghcitizens on Facebook.

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DRI "Durkee" project, financial threats loom over city

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