The current spate of construction and interest in downtown projects is part a generational change in property owners and in part a culmination of years of individual projects that has created a critical mass that is now opening a flood of dollars in the range of $100M. The property closing on the Woolworth Building has finally occurred and construction is underway.
Current projects build on fifty years of trying to turn downtown around, starting with urban renewal with all its plusses and minuses. Individual buildings were redone, public infrastructure improved, jobs created as in Stream, blight reduced and investment has been made fashionable again as a new generation looks to make sure Public Square is the center of life in the North Country.
The more grand projects stand side by side with smaller efforts like the upstairs apartments done by the Bradley family or the little tavern renovated at the east end of the Square. The steady incremental rebuilding the Paddock Arcade has taken years, but it worked.
We all know the Queen Mary can't turn on a dime...but efforts over time are making a difference and the sight and sound of saws and hammers on the American Corner will bolster the belief that downtown is back.
Developers Finalize Woolworth Building Purchase, Renovations Begin
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