Friendly Neighborhoods. Safe Communities.

Through our programs we have been able to directly support projects that will lead to the creation or renovation of over 200 housing units in Franklin County within the next several years.

Towards the end of 2022, Franklin County received exciting news: its application to establish the Franklin County Land Bank Corporation had been granted approval. Thanks to the vision of the County Legislature, the Land Bank now stands as the 29th approved land bank in the state of New York and the first countywide land bank within the North Country region. Since they were first authorized to be created in 2011, land banks have become important tools in the fight against blight and to return abandoned or underutilized housing to the tax roll and productive use. FCEDC was proud to help write the Legislature’s successful application to create a land bank.

The Saranac Lofts project Saranac Lake is a mixed use project on a former brownfield that will lead to the development of 70 mixed-income apartment units. Centrally located in Downtown Saranac Lake and adjacent to the Adirondack Rail Trail, the project will be complete in 2025. FCEDC supported the project by facilitating the purchase and transfer of the property to Kearney Realty & Development Group, the company developing the project. FCEDC also awarded $500,000 in Saranac Lake Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding to the project.

Originally constructed in the 1970s, the Donald E. Smith apartment complex in Tupper Lake provides 50 quality and affordable housing units to income-restricted seniors. FCEDC, through its industrial development agency, supported the purchase and renovation of the property by issuing tax-exempt bonds and approving a payment in lieu of tax agreement. Renovations will be completed in 2024.

Located on Demars Boulevard in Tupper Lake, the Oval Wood Dish property marks the final remnant of the 14 wood product mills that once graced the area. However, since 2008, this property has remained inactive. Recognizing its potential, the North Country Regional Development Council has prioritized its revitalization since 2011.

In 2019, a seasoned team of developers, led by the Lahinch Group, Housing Visions, and Hueber-Breuer Construction Co., Inc., purchased the Oval Wood Dish property with bridge loans from Adirondack Regional Credit Union and FCEDC with the goal of transforming the property into a vibrant mixed-use development. Envisioned within this redevelopment are 80 housing units and multiple commercial spaces. Currently, negotiations are underway with FCEDC’s industrial development agency to establish a payment in lieu of tax agreement that will provide support for the ambitious $39 million project, anticipated for completion in 2025. Through these collective efforts, the Oval Wood Dish property is set to regain its vitality as a thriving hub of residential and commercial activity in the center of Tupper Lake.