It’s a hospital that’s been sitting vacant in Corning for nearly two years.
“It’s got a little spookiness to it,” said resident Susan Ermmarino.
But soon, it will be spooky no more: Plans to demolish the building are underway.
“This has been a project that’s been in the works for many years,” said Guthrie Corning Hospital Board Chairman Philip Roche.
Guthrie will be knocking down the century-old building on Denison Parkway this May as part of a massive redevelopment project in Corning.
“It’s part of our commitment to the Corning area,” said Roche. "It’d be much cheaper to just leave the building there, but Guthrie is committed to redeveloping and making it a better place."
The space will primarily be used for new apartments.
“We think it’s going to build the tax base, we think it’s going to be good for our merchants and our retailers, and [it will] overall improve the housing stock in the city of Corning,” said Roche. "This is going to be a win-win all the way around."
The city says this project comes at the perfect time, as there’s been a growing need for housing in Corning over the past few years.
“We’re finding that area residents are identifying Corning as a preferred place – that’s where they want to live,” said Corning Planning and Economic Development Director Steve Dennis.
“I just moved here about seven, eight months ago, and finding places to rent in the Corning area is pretty hard, so I think that would be awesome,” said Ermmarino.
But there will be more than just new apartments coming to the area. Corning Community College will also build a new downtown facility for their health-related programs.
“We know that quite a few of the graduates of Corning Community College’s nursing program stay in the area, and the availability of health care professionals is important for quality and enhanced healthcare in the region,” said Dennis.
Residents can expect the project to be complete by next spring.
The project is expected to cost $8-12 million. Guthrie will be footing the bill with help from state grants.