BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg has turned over the former Newell building to the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency for $1.

Over the past few years the IDA has helped the city obtain funding to restore and repair the defunct building.

City Planner Andrea Smith said that while the city is selling the property for $1 the IDA has put more than $300,000 into the building and has also obtained additional grants for work there.

The 63,000-square-foot building once provided more than 100 jobs to the city and has caught the eye of many developers in recent years. But contamination at the site, unfortunate timing and degradation of utilities has made it tough for the city to close a deal.

Ogdensburg had struggled to find the funding necessary to repair the building as it has faced economic challenges in the past decade, but the lack of resources was a driving factor in a partnership with the SLCIDA that helped the city secure the $1 million Restore New York Grant.

The partnership with the IDA means the city already has a developer, which was an important aspect of obtaining the grant. The IDA has a proven track record of restoring similar buildings throughout the county and has access to the funding and resources and partners to fill a building or find a buyer once it has been rehabilitated.

The original Newell factory was constructed in 1912-1913 as 15,000 square foot brick masonry building overlooking the St. Lawrence River.

As the company grew, so too did the facility. Additions were added in 1919, 1960-1969, and again in 1992. In June 2003, the Newell Company closed its operations in Ogdensburg, and the property was sold to Tri-Regency Warehouse Properties, Inc. for use as storage and warehousing, according to the city update.

In June 2013, the city acquired the property through property tax foreclosure proceedings and has worked with the St. SLCIDA to market the property.