Releases Request for Proposals for Redevelopment of Watertown Correctional Facility with an Emphasis on Housing with a Range of Unit Sizes and Affordability Levels
New Seneca County RFP for Lead Developer to Re-envision the 550-Acre Willard Drug Treatment Campus
Advances Key Recommendations from State's Prison Redevelopment Commission to Create New Opportunities and Community and Economic Benefits
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Empire State Development has issued a Request for Proposals to transform the former Watertown Correctional Facility in Jefferson County into a residential project with a range of unit sizes and affordability levels, the latest milestone in the Governor’s ongoing efforts to repurpose state-owned sites for new housing. Additionally, Seneca County has issued a Request for Proposals to redevelop the former Willard Drug Treatment Campus located in the Town of Romulus into a vibrant shorefront project that could include a mix of residential, commercial, recreational, and other uses. These actions build on the Governor's progress in advancing key recommendations from the Prison Redevelopment Commission Report to reimagine closed prisons as innovative redevelopment projects that support new housing, jobs, and economic activity statewide.
“We are investing in our communities by redeveloping shuttered prisons and finding ways to reuse the sites,” Governor Hochul said. “Both the Watertown and Willard sites are on a forward trajectory to spur economic growth, making New York State more livable and providing opportunity for all.”
Watertown Correctional Facility
The Watertown Correctional Facility RFP is designed to encourage the development of housing in a mix of unit sizes and affordability ranges on the 108-acre site. This will not only increase housing options, but also grow the community and place a vacant state-owned property back into productive use. The RFP prioritizes proposals that create more affordable housing and financial support may be available to the designated developer for eligible costs.
Additionally, designated developers may be eligible to apply for up to $8 million in Empire State Development grant funds for eligible capital costs related to site redevelopment. The RFP is available on the Empire State Development website. A site visit will be held on July 25, 2024 and proposals must be received by August 30, 2024.
Willard Drug Treatment Campus
Governor Hochul also announced that Seneca County has issued an RFP for a lead developer for the former Willard Drug Treatment Campus in the Town of Romulus. Seneca County is pursuing a transfer of the site from New York State to the county for redevelopment. The RFP aims to identify a preferred master developer with whom the county will enter into a public-private partnership agreement for the redevelopment of the entire site once the transfer is complete. The 550-acre site, which includes more than 75 buildings and a mile of Seneca Lake shoreline, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The campus has a rich history dating back to 1853 and is adjacent to Sampson State Park. The county has committed $500,000 to assist the Preferred Master Developer in advancing the redevelopment plan. The county also seeks to identify potential development partners with interest in specific portions of the site.
Interested parties are invited to review site details and submit a response to the RFP no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 15, 2024. The RFP and tour information is available on the Seneca County website.
Read the full press release here.