‘Expressions of interest’ sought for ex-IBM parcels
Ulster County is putting out feelers for economic development plans for the site known as Enterprise West.
TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. » Ulster County is looking “expressions of interest” for the redevelopment of what is known as Enterprise West — a portion of the former IBM-Kingston property, and later TechCity, that now is owned by the county.
The county is looking for developers and others interested in buying the property, or leasing or renting all or some of the site; or willing to provide services related to developing the property.
Specifically, the county is looking for development proposals that will draw a “vibrant mix of uses and users” that could include manufacturing, office, industrial, educational, cultural, civic, recreational and residential opportunities, and that would create employment in a variety of industries and serve as a catalyst for redevelopment of and investment in the surrounding area.
According to the 42page “Request for Expressions of Interest,” the call is “is intended as a preliminary step to determine the level of interest by developers and potential site users in redevelopment of the properties; explore interest in alternative methods of redevelopment (including public-private development models); and solicit interest by firms and individuals who may assist the county with the redevelopment of the properties.”
“For the first time in probably 30 years, there’s an opportunity for our business community and our residents to express interest in what happens at that site,” said Tim Weidemann, the county’s economic development director.
What now is called Enterprise West originally was part of the IBM plant that opened in Ulster in 1955, and it later became part of TechCity, the name given to the sprawling property by Alan Ginsberg after he bought the multibuilding site from IBM in 1998. IBM vacated the property three years earlier.
Ulster County took ownership of two parcels on the west side of Enterprise Drive in November 2019 due to nonpayment of property taxes. The parcels total 82 acres, including a 24.7acre site that has three attached vacant buildings on it. One of the buildings most recently housed Bank of America offices.
Since the county seized the parcels, the county Legislature, at the request of County Executive Pat Ryan, has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the former Bank of America building, first to separate its electric and gas services from other buildings on the site and most recently to winterize the building and make upgrades in order to get a temporary certificate of occupancy.
The Ryan administration now expects to ask the Legislature to transfer ownership of the properties to a local development corporation, a move the executive says is necessary for the county to sell the sites while maintaining control over the kind of development that occurs.
Weidemann said Tuesday that responses received to the “expressions of interest” request will be used to help the Legislature decide whether to transfer the properties to a development corporation.
“To the extent possible, we would like for the information from the [“expressions of interest” request] to help inform and guide that discussion,” Weidemann said.
During a December public hearing before the Legislature, county Comptroller March Gallagher urged the Ryan administration to make certain the process of developing a plan for the property was transparent and included community input.
“Let’s go beyond performative democracy here in Ulster County to ensure transparency and solicit input, particularly when discussing the single largest economic development opportunity in the county’s history,” Gallagher said.
During that same hearing, Weidemann called the Enterprise West site “a transformative opportunity for Ulster County and for our economy” and said the administration recognized the need for transparency and involvement by the public and elected local leaders.
The deadline to respond to the “Request for Expressions of Interest” is Feb. 26.