Former Johnson City High School Apartment Construction to Start

Work on the long-awaited project to transform a century-old Broome County High School into several dozen apartments is about to begin.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the redevelopment of what has been the NY-Penn Trade Center in Johnson City will be held this week.

The Lane Group of New York plans to construct 58 market-rate apartments in the former Johnson City High School and gymnasium at 435 Main Street.

The school opened in September 1915. It was used by thousands of Johnson City students until a new high school opened in 1970.

McKilligan Industrial Supply acquired the property in 1975 and turned it into the NY-PENN Trade Center.

Johnson City code enforcement officials shut down the building last October after vandals damaged its electrical system. The structure was declared unsafe and several tenants were ordered to leave.

The sale of the four-acre site to The Lane Group has been finalized and construction is expect to get underway soon.

The total cost of the project now is estimated at more than $20 million. The developer is expected to receive $1.1 million in state funding for the project.

A representative of The Lane Group did not return phone calls seeking comment on the project.

Construction on the apartment complex originally was scheduled to start in the spring of 2024.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A revealing look at what had happened to the old Johnson City High School.

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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.