IBM Country Club Site Housing Development Stalled

Plans to build a 75-unit apartment complex at the former site of the iconic IBM Country Club near Johnson City are on hold because of a financing snag.

The dilapidated structures at the abandoned country club property on Watson Boulevard in the town of Union were torn down in late 2022.

It's been almost two-and-a-half years since the Broome County Local Development Corporation gave the green light to Conifer Realty and LeChase Construction to redevelop the site.

Leadership Alliance CEO Stacey Duncan said Conifer had submitted its proposal to the state Homes and Community Renewal agency under its low-income housing tax credit program last spring.

Duncan told WNBF News that Conifer's project was not among those selected in the latest round of the program.

She said the county anticipates the Conifer Realty will resubmit its application in the fall. She said the developer has an option to acquire the site through the end of this year. The proposed sale price for the property is $300,000.

Duncan said if Conifer decides not to move forward with the apartment complex, the county would seek other development opportunities for the site.

When the $15 million housing proposal was announced, Duncan had said economic development officials were hoping for a "fast-moving project." Although it now appears to be "a slower-moving project," she said the county remains committed "to seeing a new life for that site."

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A two-minute stroll around the once-magnificent IBM Country Club site on June 27, 2024.

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