Dozens of Trees Being Removed for Davis College Project

Crews are moving quickly to remove some of the old, tall trees that have been a fixture on the Davis College campus in Johnson City for decades.

Workers with CNY Tree Service of Broome County started the process of cutting down dozens of trees on the site south of Riverside Drive on Tuesday.

Plans for the Riverside Gardens development call for the creation of 67 modern apartments along with the renovation of five single-family homes on the 16-acre property. Some commercial space also is to be included as part of the $15.5 million project.

David Drew, the project developer, told WNBF News last week that he believed "upwards of 25" large trees would be removed as part of the site preparation process.

Drew said removing the trees "was actually part of the project that I didn't love." But, he said, tree experts who inspected the trees advised him that "these are at the end of their life, so you shouldn't feel very bad about taking a bunch of them out."

Drew said he "made sure that we would replace every one - one for one that we would take out. He said "for every tree that's coming out, we'll put one or more back in its place... maybe in a different location." He said "a lot of the trees would have to come out anyway."

One person who noticed the tree removal operation posted a comment on social media saying he was "very disappointed" and "disgusted" to see that the trees were being cut down.

Drew said the site work is "a huge part of the project" in order to accommodate parking and use needs for the mixed-use project. He said a good portion of the existing parking areas and landscaping will be replaced.

A formal groundbreaking event for the Riverside Gardens development was held on Monday.

Drew has said the goal is to have the project completed in about 14 months.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A look at the Riverside Gardens site preparation on June 4, 2025.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.