Downtown Binghamton House Owners Charged with 53 Code Violations

The city of Binghamton is taking the owners of an abandoned downtown apartment house to court.

An Empire State Development official described the Kenmore Building at 263 Washington Street as a "well-known eyesore." The three-story structure has been idle for more than a decade.

The property was acquired by Philmar Holdings of New Paltz in 2009 for about $57,000. Bricks continue to fall from the walls of the building and neighbors report people routinely stayed inside the dangerous structure during the winter.

According to the Binghamton mayor's office, Kevin Findley and Phillip Costa, the defendants in the case, have each been charged with 53 code violations.

Because there's been no progress on repairs, the city has requested a trial date. Mayor Jared Kraham said he expects that could occur this summer.

In an email to WNBF News, Kraham said if they are convicted, the city "will ask for an order to complete all repairs within 30 days."

A few years ago, the property owners presented a plan for a $2.5 million project to renovate the historic building to create 26 apartments.

The state was prepared to provide a $500,000 grant to support the redevelopment effort. But, according to the city, that funding opportunity was terminated due to a lack of progress by the property owners.

The property has been listed for sale for more than a month with an asking price of $499,000.

In recent weeks, it appears additional bricks have fallen from the building. Binghamton University students who have lived next door for the last few years said they were disappointed that nothing had been done to address the situation.

Deputy Mayor Megan Heiman said the building has been cited as an "unsafe structure." In an email, she wrote: "No imminent danger determination has been made to my knowledge."

Efforts to contact Findley and Costa for comment on the charges and their plans for the building were unsuccessful.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A sight of blight at 263 Washington Street in downtown Binghamton.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.