Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Empire State Development has issued a Request for Proposals to transform the former Watertown Correctional Facility in Jefferson County into a residential project with a range of unit sizes and affordability levels, the latest milestone in the Governor’s ongoing efforts to repurpose state-owned sites for new housing. Additionally, Seneca County has issued a Request for Proposals to redevelop the former Willard Drug Treatment Campus located in the Town of Romulus into a vibrant shorefront project that could include a mix of residential, commercial, recreational, and other uses. These actions build on the Governor's progress in advancing key recommendations from the Prison Redevelopment Commission Report to reimagine closed prisons as innovative redevelopment projects that support new housing, jobs, and economic activity statewide.

“We are investing in our communities by redeveloping shuttered prisons and finding ways to reuse the sites,” Governor Hochul said. “Both the Watertown and Willard sites are on a forward trajectory to spur economic growth, making New York State more livable and providing opportunity for all.”

Watertown Correctional Facility

The Watertown Correctional Facility RFP is designed to encourage the development of housing in a mix of unit sizes and affordability ranges on the 108-acre site. This will not only increase housing options, but also grow the community and place a vacant state-owned property back into productive use. The RFP prioritizes proposals that create more affordable housing and financial support may be available to the designated developer for eligible costs.

Additionally, designated developers may be eligible to apply for up to $8 million in Empire State Development grant funds for eligible capital costs related to site redevelopment. The RFP is available on the Empire State Development website. A site visit will be held on July 25, 2024 and proposals must be received by August 30, 2024.

Willard Drug Treatment Campus

Governor Hochul also announced that Seneca County has issued an RFP for a lead developer for the former Willard Drug Treatment Campus in the Town of Romulus. Seneca County is pursuing a transfer of the site from New York State to the county for redevelopment. The RFP aims to identify a preferred master developer with whom the county will enter into a public-private partnership agreement for the redevelopment of the entire site once the transfer is complete. The 550-acre site, which includes more than 75 buildings and a mile of Seneca Lake shoreline, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The campus has a rich history dating back to 1853 and is adjacent to Sampson State Park. The county has committed $500,000 to assist the Preferred Master Developer in advancing the redevelopment plan. The county also seeks to identify potential development partners with interest in specific portions of the site.

Interested parties are invited to review site details and submit a response to the RFP no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 15, 2024. The RFP and tour information is available on the Seneca County website.

These request for proposals advance recommendations of the Prison Redevelopment Commission, a fifteen-member panel of real estate, community and economic development, criminal justice reform, and government experts convened by the Governor in 2022 to reimagine closed prisons for innovative redevelopment projects. In December 2022, the Commission delivered recommendations to the Governor, which included:

• Prioritizing the release of two Requests for Proposals and providing support for ESD through the RFP process.
• Launching a Prison Redevelopment Fund, a capital grant program that would make funding available to developers and/or localities that acquire sites from the State.
• Creating a Municipal Technical Assistance Fund to help communities with closed prisons operate the closed facilities (e.g. infrastructure acquisition and maintenance).
• Establishing a community engagement process to support outreach and consensus building in impacted communities.
• Prioritizing housing in future prison RFPs or other prison redevelopment efforts.
• Investigating renewable energy opportunities and partnerships.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we are encouraging public-private partnerships and working with our local partners to reimagine former prison sites and foster new investments to promote positive, equitable economic development. Through the Prison Redevelopment Commission, recommendations were proposed to support the adaptive reuse and redevelopment of former state prison facilities. These two RFPs represent the next steps in creating vibrant residential communities that will further address the state’s housing crisis and generate economic growth.”

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Today's RFP further exemplifies Governor Hochul's commitment to utilize a variety of strategies to improve affordability for New Yorkers and create new housing options in every region of the state. The redevelopment of the Watertown Correctional Facility and the Willard Drug Treatment Center provides a significant opportunity to bring more homes to the North Country and Finger Lakes, and contribute to economic growth in Upstate New York.”

New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III said, “The closure of any correctional facility is a difficult decision, but choosing a site that has the potential for reuse and redevelopment is a critical factor in this process. To that end, it is encouraging to see the progress being made with the former Watertown Correctional Facility site, Willard Drug Treatment Campus and the Request for Proposals issued by Empire State Development that is in line with not only the Governor’s housing initiatives, but also recommendations made by the Prison Redevelopment Commission. I look forward to seeing what is in store for these sites and the positive impacts on the local communities.”

New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “The transformation of the former Watertown Correctional Facility and Willard Drug Treatment Campus serve as examples of how repurposing underutilized state properties can help fulfill the need for safe and affordable housing while boosting the state’s economy. As a member of Governor Hochul’s Prison Redevelopment Commission, I applaud the Governor for turning the commission’s recommendations into concrete actions that will see these sites reopen and benefit the Watertown and Romulus communities.”

Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

Governor Hochul is committed to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the state more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives for Upstate communities, new incentives and zoning relief to create more housing in New York City, a $500 million capital fund to build up to 15,000 new homes on State-owned property, an additional $600 million in funding to support a variety of housing development statewide, and new protections for renters. These measures follow the historic funding the Governor secured in the FY23 Enacted Budget for a five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan to build and preserve 100,000 units of affordable housing across the state.

In addition, Governor Hochul has taken positive steps to reimagine other former prison sites, with an emphasis on housing. Last year, the Governor announced the winning proposal to redevelop the former Lincoln Correctional Facility in New York City into a mixed-use development with 105 units of affordable housing with arts and community space. Additionally, the Governor recently announced the winning proposal for Downstate Correctional located in Fishkill, Dutchess County, into a vibrant, mixed-use development that would feature new housing and community space. The Governor also launched requests for proposals to redevelop Bayview Correctional Facility in New York City, with a strong emphasis on housing. In addition, Empire State Development has also successfully transferred Livingston Correctional Facility, located in the town of Groveland, to the Livingston County Industrial Development Agency, advancing a key recommendation from the Prison Redevelopment Commission's report.

State Senator Thomas F. O’Mara said, “This represents an important step for Seneca County toward the future redevelopment of the site of the former Willard Drug Treatment Campus. We look forward to working closely with the state to assist the county's ongoing efforts to build a public-private partnership that will accomplish an exciting and productive reuse of this valuable property for the future of Seneca County's communities, residents, and taxpayers.”

Assemblymember Scott A. Gray said, “The stewardship of state-owned properties has been a top issue for my office during my time in the Assembly, whether it’s the decommissioned prisons, the psych center or SUNY campuses, we need to be good stewards of state-owned properties, and we need to make sure they’re repurposed at their highest use. Hearing the news of an RFP for the Watertown Correctional Facility is a major step toward repurposing it. I will continue to work diligently to make sure the plan is completed and the facility becomes completely repurposed. Thank you to Governor Hochul for moving this initiative forward.”

Jefferson County Board of Legislators Chair William W. Johnson said, “This is great news; we appreciate the State taking steps towards repurposing the vacant Watertown Correctional Facility, which will help address the housing needs in Jefferson County.”

Watertown Town Supervisor Joel Bartlett said, “We welcome the Governor's decision to convert the former Dry Hill Prison into affordable housing and look forward to the opportunity to get the property back on the town and county tax rolls after many years of being tax exempt. We all acknowledge the need for more housing in New York State, and in particular the great need in the Watertown area, and the Governor's initiative to promote new and additional housing will help meet the current and future needs of the area.”

Seneca County Board of Supervisors Chairman Michael Enslow said, “Seneca County could not be more excited to partner with the state and many other agencies to begin what will be an historic turning point for the redevelopment of the Willard campus. We are very excited to see this project takeoff, and anxiously await what the future holds for this site.”

Seneca County Economic Development, Tourism and Housing Chair Jeffrey Trout said, “Seneca county is committed fully to what will be the most significant public-private investment in our history. The related enhancements in tourism, housing, and infrastructure will advance the entire Finger Lakes region.”