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Developer and community group outline plan to restore Catherine Street Community Center; OCFS and site approvals flagged
Summary
A development team under contract to acquire the former Catherine Street Community Center told the Local Planning Committee it plans to restore the facility for expanded childcare, after-school and community uses, and said 2022 Phase I/II environmental reports are clean.
Representatives for a proposal to restore the former Catherine Street Community Center presented to the Local Planning Committee, describing a plan to expand community programming and to secure multiple funding sources including state and county grants and fee-for-service revenue.
The development team said it is under contract to buy the property from its current owner, St. Joseph’s, and that title issues recently tied to a small sliver of land have been resolved; the applicant said closing could occur quickly if funding and approvals are in place. The team said Saint Joseph's previously completed Phase I and Phase II environmental reports in 2022 and those reports show the site is clean.
“The only reason we didn’t close yet was there was a title issue with like a little sliver of the property that was being back and forth worked out. I have an all clear from title to close it,” the speaker said. The applicant added that Saint Joseph’s previously sought to use the site for a rehab facility and that a recent site plan was prepared for that proposal.
Project representatives described program plans to expand child-care and after-school care and said they are pursuing SAC licensing through New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and exploring other revenue sources including state and federal grants. They said they are working with grant-writing consultants and with the Dyson Foundation to build capacity for fundraising.
On approvals, staff and applicants discussed whether reopening the prior community use would require planning review. The applicant had initially believed the prior use could be resumed without a new site plan but staff clarified that a gap in use typically triggers review; as a result, the team will work with the planning department on necessary permitting.
The LPC did not take formal action. Committee members emphasized the difficulty of obtaining SAC licensing for child-care spaces and advised careful coordination with OCFS; the applicants said they have begun those conversations and will continue outreach as funding and permitting proceed.
