New Details on Binghamton “Tiny Homes” Project for Veterans

A housing complex to be built for Broome County veterans will feature two sizes of so-called "tiny homes."

The county government project aimed at helping veterans is to be developed at 530 State Street on Binghamton's North Side. The site had been home to the State Bowling Center for many years but it's been unused for the past two decades.

The Salvation Army had been planning to build a community center on the property. Then-Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul spoke at a groundbreaking ceremony for that project in April 2017 but actual construction on that planned facility never started and the idea was scrapped.

Planners working on the county's project for veterans say the townhouses are expected to have two different style units. The smaller tiny houses will have 831 square feet while the larger homes will have 965 square feet. Five two-unit buildings are to be constructed.

In addition to the residential component, the project at the 1.6-acre site will include a 13,000-square-foot two-level building that will serve as a one-stop resource center for veterans.

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar told WNBF News that bids for the project will be sought this summer. He said groundbreaking is expected in the fall.

The goal is to have the center open by Veterans Day of next year.

The facility will provide office space for the county's Veterans Services Agency and other support groups.

Garnar said the center also will have a space for educational classes and workforce development, as well as a community garden.

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