Work continues to transform Oakdale Commons

JOHNSON CITY — Construction activity continues to bustle along at Oakdale Commons, three years after Spark JC LLC acquired the formerly distressed Oakdale Mall with the goal of turning it into a shopping, dining, and entertainment destination. Last summer, the project was awarded up to $18 million from New York State for the next two phases to transform the former retail property into a mixed-use development. “This innovative project further supports the transformation already underway in Johnson City and will serve as a glowing testament to what can be accomplished when the state and local stakeholders all pull together to get things done,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said when announcing the state funding. Spark JC is a partnership between Doug Matthews and Marc Newman, two local developers. The earliest phase of development at Oakdale included transforming the former Sears store on an adjacent property. Spark Broome acquired that parcel in 2019 and the site is now home to a Factory by Beer Tree, a Guthrie Lourdes Hospital wellness center and fitness facility, and several Broome County offices. The project also brought in new retail and restaurant tenants including Dick’s House of Sports, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Dave & Busters, and Panera Bread. More recently, Five Guys Burgers & Fries and Five Below both opened at Oakdale earlier this year. Oakdale Commons now has more than 500 new employees across its tenants and attracts thousands of daily visitors. In the second phase of redevelopment, Spark JC is tackling several areas of need including housing, health care, and child care. Work will include building an 85,000-square-foot regional orthopedic and spine center for Guthrie Lourdes Hospital where a Burlington Coat Factory once was located. “This will be anchored by an ambulatory surgery center that will offer our community clinical excellence in a state-of-the-art facility at lower costs,” Guthrie Hospital System President/CEO Dr. Edmund Sabanegh said when the project was announced last August. A 22,000-square-foot child care center, administered by Broome County and operated by a third party, will provide slots for up to 208 children from infants through school-aged and create up to 45 jobs, bringing new much-needed child-care options to the area. On an adjacent parcel, Spark JC is constructing 125 units of workforce housing. The developers are hoping to complete the projects, which total about $200 million, in 2026. Both the child care center and the workforce housing align with initiatives by Hochul to increase both the state’s housing supply and child-care offerings. “These projects will not only enhance our health-care services and provide much-needed housing, but they will also create new opportunities for working families and contribute to the long-term economic vitality of our region,” state Sen. Lea Webb said. “We are tremendously appreciative of Empire State Development’s and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s support of Oakdale Commons and their recognition that Oakdale is a transformative development for the region,” Spark JC President Marc Newman said. “With ESD and the governor’s assistance, we can continue to build on the progress we have made in our initial phase and bring much-needed child care, workforce housing, and world-class medical services to the Southern Tier.” Oakdale Commons is located at 601-635 Harry L Drive in Johnson City.