OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) – What do local leaders think could be next for the closed Ogdensburg state prison?
Behind all the razor wire and fencing, Ogdensburg mayor Mike Skelly sees an opportunity for the future of the city.
Earlier this year, the state closed Ogdensburg Correctional Facility. It’s inmate population was about a third of the capacity, and the lowest among local state prisons.
Recently, local officials had a chance to go inside.
While it may be the middle of summer, Skelly is worried about winter.
“The state needs to maintain 40 to 50 degrees temperature in those buildings until a decision is made on turning it over to someone else,” he said.
Ogdensburg officials say if given the chance, the could turn the correctional facility into an additional part of the Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority.
“This could easily be converted into a part of the industrial park,” Skelly said. “The industrial park, the existing park sits right next to this. I believe they would be interested in it and the heating can easily be converted and the electrical is there. It could be a nice smooth transition.”
St. Lawrence County legislator Jim Reagan is worried about that transition though, saying the state needs to realize reusing the property in Ogdensburg is much different than dealing with a similar situation in downstate New York.
“We need the state of New York to realize that this is not Westchester County, this is not Orange County, this is not New York City, these are not properties that are going to be snapped up right away by developers,” Reagan said. “You know, its going to be a difficult struggle to find new uses for these buildings and we need the state of New York to be realistic and understand, that we need a partnership.”
That partnership will come with the state’s Prison Redevelopment Commission – a panel of experts focused on reimagining closed prisons.
While the Ogdensburg tour happened, there’s no timeline on when the next decisions will be made.
Copyright 2022 WWNY. All rights reserved.
