VIEWPOINT: The Time is Now for Binghamton’s Clinton Street

Early in my career in public service, I knew that Binghamton’s Clinton Street was special. With its historic bones, walkable footprint, affordable neighborhoods, and eclectic mix of shops and eateries, Clinton Street really was the best kept secret in our community. Thanks to the recent announcement of a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant award, the state’s flagship revitalization program, the secrets of Clinton Street are no more — the City of Binghamton is launching a new chapter for this historic commercial district. Since making the Clinton Street Neighborhood Business District a key long-term economic-development focus of my administration, and even before winning the DRI award, Binghamton has been joined by partners who share our vision. Known as the “backbone” of our First Ward neighborhood, Clinton Street is where history meets opportunity, with new businesses establishing roots and finding not just financial success, but also a sense of belonging with a tight-knit community of neighbors and customers. Boarded-up storefronts are starting to come alive, and long vacant lots have new plans for redevelopment. iA, a national pharmaceutical technology firm, sited its headquarters directly off Clinton Street, bringing 80 jobs to the corridor and securing iA’s future in Broome County. Firomar, a company that makes high-efficiency building materials, moved into a defunct power plant, repurposing a vacant, city-owned asset and establishing a state-of-the-art clean-energy manufacturing operation with 40 jobs in its first phase and $4.6 million in building improvements and new equipment. Significant housing development is underway, with 120 units in progress at the long-vacant site of a former printing press lost to fire in 1997, 150 units are proposed at the former car dealership at the Clinton Street gateway from downtown, and local nonprofit developer First Ward Action Council was recently awarded New York State support for dozens of units with a mix of rehabilitation and new build. Businesses like The Ward, a new tavern at the site of a former troubled establishment; Collect Binghamton, a collectibles store bringing traffic from near and far; and Parlor City Vegan, a hip café with local, vegan options, are welcoming a new generation of visitors to the First Ward. All these projects joined the longtime Clinton Street staples — Rogers Trucking, Kovarik’s Hardware, the Old Union hotel bar and restaurant, Antique Row, the Boys & Girls Club, and Robot City Games, the largest arcade of its kind in New York state — to further solidify Clinton Street as the Southern Tier’s next great downtown. Recognizing the need for infrastructure improvements in the area, the City of Binghamton also took action. With the area’s many railroad bridges in disrepair, the city held our rail providers accountable, pushing them to invest millions over the last three years to repair crumbling overpasses and replace deteriorating bridge spans. We invested in a new public parking lot to support area establishments and provided grants to building owners willing to invest in their facades. Meeting with area residents, we found they mirrored the spirit and resilience of the neighborhood — eager to be part of developing an investment plan. This led to an actionable playbook, demonstrating what revitalization can look like when it’s driven by community vision and backed by strategic investment. Beyond Binghamton’s borders, Clinton Street’s revitalization will help the Southern Tier region achieve broader goals in job creation and affordable housing. These new investments will benefit thousands of residents in this working-class neighborhood and create a new regional destination in a walkable commercial corridor. I’m confident Clinton Street will help us deliver on regional priorities in economic development and continue to raise Binghamton’s profile at the state level. The revitalization of Clinton Street is an ambitious but achievable task. The plan calls for investment in new housing, mixed-use storefronts, streetscape enhancements, public art and façade improvements, all of which tap into the unrealized potential of Clinton Street. Clinton Street’s time is now. We can’t wait to get started and put into motion the projects and revitalization that residents deserve because Clinton Street isn’t just coming back — it’s leading the way.                   

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Jared M. Kraham is the 51st Mayor of the City of Binghamton. Contact Kraham at MayorKraham@cityofbinghamton.gov. For more information on the revitalization of Clinton Street, contact EconomicDevelopment@cityofbinghamton.gov