Conversion of JC School Into Apartments Expected to Begin Soon

Plans to transform the old Johnson City High School into a residential complex are being finalized.

The Lane Group of New York is preparing to acquire two three-story buildings at 435 Main Street to develop 58 market-rate apartments.

The project - which is expected to cost more than $20 million - calls for the reconstruction of the old school building and the former gym behind that structure.

Johnson City officials declared the building unsafe in early October after someone apparently used a sledgehammer to damage an electrical panel.

Tenants who had been using what had been known as the NY-Penn Trade Center were forced to move to other locations.

The old school building was boarded up shortly after the action by the village code enforcement office.

The Johnson City planning board had been expected to review the site plan for the project at its meeting this week but that was delayed until December.

The sale of the four-acre site could be finalized early next year. Construction for the project is expected to take about 18 to 20 months.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.