JC Printing Plant Being Turned Into Battery Development Center

An abandoned Broome County newspaper printing site is being transformed into a lithium-ion battery research and development complex.

The former Gannett Central New York Production Facility off CFJ Boulevard in Johnson City

The printing plant, which cost more than $50 million to build and equip, operated from 2006 to 2018. A plan to convert the building into a hemp processing operation fell through.

FLASHBACK: A section of a decommissioned Gannett printing press about to be hauled to a Binghamton metal recycling facility in March 2019. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

The Binghamton University Foundation acquired the property for $4.5 million six years ago. The 10-acre site served as a state-run mass vaccination center during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Battery NY initiative for the Johnson City building was announced in June 2024.

A sign at the future Battery NY center acknowledges the federal government's support of the project. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Workers from Procon Contracting of Endwell this week are installing security fencing around the project site, which is located next door to a Walmart store. The company was awarded a $585,000 contract for the job.

According to a Binghamton University website, the battery research center is scheduled for completion in September.

A view of the north side of the former newspaper printing plant on August 4, 2026. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Governor Kathy Hochul has said the university will receive $114 million in federal and state funds to develop the facility in Johnson City.

Equipment installation at the complex is expected to continue this fall. The university has said the first sample battery cells should "come off the line by the end of 2026."

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A walk around the future Battery NY Prototyping and Commercialization Center in Johnson City on August 4, 2026.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com.