Demolition of aging Oswegoland parks administration center moving forward

Plans to raze the Oswegoland Park District’s aging Prairie Point administration and operations center at 313 E. Washington St. in Owego continue to move forward.

At their March 7 meeting, members of the village’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the Park District’s redevelopment plans. The Oswego Village Board will now review the plans.

During the meeting, Planning and Zoning Commission member Rick Kuhn asked if the Park District plans to offer any classes in the new administration center. Oswegoland Park District Executive Director Tom Betsinger said there are no plans to do that.

“We have not had recreational programming at that facility for about 15 years,” he said. “I think it was about 2008 when I moved the last of our programming out of that facility.”

Plans are to raze the 14,453-square-foot building — built in 1974 as a John Deere dealership facility and acquired by the district in 1986 — in late spring or early summer. Construction of a smaller, more efficient 11,000-square-foot administration building and a new 15,000-square-foot park maintenance and operations building is set to begin this summer.

“It is more cost effective to knock it down and build a smaller, more efficient administrative center on the same site.”

—  Oswegoland Park District Executive Director Tom Betsinger

“We’re going to make our administration center a little bit smaller and we’re going to upsize our operations facility that services all of our 66 parks and playgrounds and the 1,200 acres of natural area,” Betsinger said in talking about the project. “A little bit larger operations center helps our fleet, our trucks and our guys who are out servicing the parks and the playgrounds and the trails.”

Rehabbing the building proved not to be an option.

“We looked at if we could rehab and refresh it, and once you get through all of bringing this building up to code, it is more cost effective to knock it down and build a smaller, more efficient administrative center on the same site,” Betsinger said.

Expanded parking also is part of the project, which is expected to be completed by fall 2025.

At the Feb. 15 Oswegoland Park Board meeting, commissioners unanimously approved an 18-month lease agreement for the use of the village of Montgomery’s former public works facility at 891 Knell Road, Montgomery. The Park District will pay $8,953.10 a month in rent, including utilities.

Chad Feldotto, the district’s director of parks and planning, told commissioners the 9,400-square-foot facility offers a base for the district’s fleet mechanic, offices for two park supervisors, some external and interior storage, park operation staff parking and access to fuel pumps.

The Montgomery Village Board approved the lease agreement at its Feb. 12 meeting.

At the meeting, Oswegoland Park Board commissioners also approved three other lease agreements for space.