BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — A Watertown developer told city council Monday he’s interested in developing the former Ogdensburg Correctional Facility and St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center properties, but details on the project were very limited.

Rick St. Jean, Kirkland Realty trustee, told the council he’d like to develop affordable housing using the state properties.

St. Jean estimated ambitiously that the $300 million to $400 million project could include housing at the prison as well as a business turning shipping containers into small homes that could be shipped out of the area.

St. Jean shared the vision with council in hopes of securing an endorsement he could submit alongside his proposal to the state.

Councilor Dan Skamperle thanked St. Jean for coming before the board, but said that as a member of the Prison Task Force, he’d like to see the facility used for manufacturing or light industry.

Skamperle said he did not believe the plan laid out by St. Jean fit that vision and said he believed that the city had enough low income housing.

St. Jean pointed out that affordable housing and low income housing were not the same thing.

Councilor John Rishe offered appreciation to St. Jean for speaking with council and said that he was glad to see a private company showing interest in developing the properties that have long been off the tax rolls.

Council did not commit to offering a letter of support.

St. Jean said he would be attending a Watertown City Council meeting to share a similar proposal in that area.

Governor Kathy Hochul established a New York Prison Redevelopment Commission, to "reimagine" closed prisons across New York State for innovative redevelopment.

The recommendations were unveiled in Unlocking Opportunity: The Report of the Prison Redevelopment Commission, a 140-page report that includes detailed site analyses of 12 closed prisons and considers redevelopment opportunities for each site to help them better serve the State's economic needs.

Though little was detailed about potential reuses for the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility which closed last year.

Ogdensburg City Council has been vocal regarding concerns that the building should not be left to fall into disrepair. Council was successful in convincing the state to keep the heat on at a level that would prevent deterioration of the facility.