Johnson City Moving to Clean Up Empty Village Storefronts

Johnson City officials want the owners of buildings with vacant storefronts to clean up their act.

Village residents and business operators have long complained about unsightly commercial properties, especially along Main Street.

Mayor Martin Meaney said a local law would help address the problem. He said property owners would be required to register with the village and meet insurance requirements.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Meaney said plywood and other material covering storefront windows would have to be removed.

The mayor said property owners would be required to make the front of their buildings "look presentable and nice" so prospective tenants could "see the potential" of the sites.

Meaney said "it's going to clean up the face of Main Street" and, he said, "it needs it."

Although some new businesses have opened in Johnson City's business district in recent years, the mayor said there still are quite a few vacant storefronts that he'd like to see filled.

Meaney said it would be beneficial if potential business operators could drive down Main Street and see available locations that "don't look like a Third World country."

A large building at 272 Main Street that was home to a McCrory's discount store for decades has been vacant for several years. A Dollar Depot operated at the site for a time after McCrory's closed.

The big display windows in the unused site remain covered with paper. The mayor would like to see something done to improve the appearance of that building and similar vacant properties in the business district.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.