Application Materials
Oneonta
Downtown Improvement Program II -
Application and
Guidelines
Oneonta Downtown Improvement Program II -
Full
Application
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Employment Opportunities
None available at this time.
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Oneonta
Railyard Market Study
Oneonta Railyard
Market Study - Malcolm Pirnie/Clark Patterson
Associates
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USEPA Brownfields Assessment
Program
Phase
II Environmental Site Assessment Report - Presented
to Common Council on December 5, 2006.
Brownfield Opportunity Areas
Program
The City of Oneonta will be submitting applications
to enter the New York State Brownfield Opportunity Areas
(BOA) Program administered by the NYS Department of
State. If successful, the city will receive funds
to undertake area-wide brownfield redevelopment plans
and assessments of priority brownfield sites. The
applications will be submitted no later than May 26,
2006. Copies of the applications will be available
for review at Oneonta City Hall after May 26, 2006.
Please contact Mr. Joseph Bernier, the City's Community
Development Director, at 432.0114 with any questions.
Factory
Street/New Island Pre-Nomination Study - 2006 Grant
Application
D&H Railyard Area Nomination
Study - 2006 Grant Application
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Brief History of Community
Development Activities
The City of Oneonta has identified significant
community development, housing, and economic development
needs in recent years, developed improvement strategies,
and successfully implemented Urban Renewal, Community
Development, Assisted Housing, Urban Development Action
Grant, and Farmers Home Administration programs to
address identified needs. The programs have helped
improve neighborhood target areas in the City, including
the River Street, East End, upper Chestnut Street, and
the Susquehanna Street neighborhoods. Programs have
helped to rehabilitate almost 500 deteriorated housing
units, construct over 180 low-income housing units for
families, the elderly and the homeless, eliminate major
public improvement problems and stimulate economic
development, among others. The City has consistently met
or exceeded all housing improvement and economic
development goals.
Although these actions have helped to address serious
housing and economic challenges in Oneonta, the City
still needs assistance, economically and physically.
There clearly is a need to initiate additional economic
development, downtown housing, and other improvement
efforts.
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Focus on Homeownership in the
City of Oneonta
The City of Oneonta has a very high and increasing
number of rental properties. The number of rental
properties in the City reflects the past demand for
housing generated by students from Hartwick College and
SUNY Oneonta. This demand has had a most dramatic impact
in the Center City area where many single and two family
homes have been converted into housing for students.
The impact of student housing extends City-wide. High
rents caused by high demand has made it difficult for
first time homebuyers in the City to save sufficient
funds for a down payment. In recent years, student
housing has impacted the City in a much different way.
As enrollments have declined at the colleges, many of
the converted homes now go un-rented. These structures
blight neighborhoods and make the neighborhoods and City
a less attractive location in which to live.
Establishment of A
Homeownership Program
The City of Oneonta, together with Opportunities for
Otsego, Inc., has received a grant from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to
assist eligible low and moderate income households to
become first-time homeowners. To participate in this
program, households must meet income eligibility
guidelines established by HUD, and must purchase a home
for their primary residency within the City of Oneonta.
Priority will be given to those who currently reside in,
or are employed in Oneonta.
Income Eligibility
Income eligibility shall be based upon the current
gross income of all household members 21 years of age or
older and who will live in the house to be purchased.
Such income includes: all full and part-time pay;
bonuses, commissions and tips; self-employment income;
dividends and interest; rental income; Social Security
benefits; Unemployment compensation; Public Assistance;
Alimony and/or child support. Contact the Office of
Community Development for current income limits by
household size.
The definition of a "first time homebuyer" is: 1) A
household that has had no homeownership interest in the
previous three years. Displaced homemakers and single
parent housholds cannot be disqualified even if they
owned a home with a former spouse within three years. 2)
A mobile home owner who has a unit which is not on a
permanent foundation is also considered a first time
homebuyer for purposes of this project.
Terms of Assistance
Applicants will be required to commit a minimum of
$1500 toward down-payment and closing costs. The
applicant must also show that a maximum of 32 percent of
the annual household income will be used for housing
expenses (mortgage, property taxes, insurance) at the
time of purchase. All households must be able to obtain
mortgages at private lending institutions. The
Homeownership program will provide a second mortgage of
which all or a portion of which may be deferred. Terms
of this second mortgage shall be three percent interest
for a term of up to 20 years. The average grant is
estimated to be about $14,000, which can be used for
mortgage principal writedown, up to $3,500 for closing
costs, and rehabilitation. The exact terms of how much
of the loan will be deferred will be based upon the
applicant's ability to repay.
In most cases no repayment will be necessary during
the first five years, unless total housing costs fall
below 32 percent of gross monthly income. After five
years, the City will review the original terms of
assistance to determine whether or not repayment should
begin. Loan repayments will be revolved to assist others
in the purchase of homes.
If repayment after five years is not possible due to
low household income, three percent annual interest will
accrue on the outstanding principal up to double the
initial subsidy amount. Should a house be sold at any
time during the loan term at fair market value, but
which is less than the initial purchase price, the
difference between the outstanding first mortgage and
the second mortgage will be split on a pro-rated amount.
Should the purchased home cease to be the primary
residence of the first-time homeowner at any time during
the loan term, repayment of the second mortgage
(assistance) will be expected.
Homes to be Purchased
The Oneonta First-Time Homeownership Project may be
used to purchase an existing single, two or three family
residence in the City of Oneonta priced less than
$80,000. The home must have a permanent foundation and
be free from major structural defects and serious
rehabilitation needs. All structures to be purchased
under this project will be selected and/or preapproved
by the City of Oneonta Loan Review Committee. The home
must be determined to be affordable to the applicant,
and suitable in terms of size and price by the
committee. Housing rehabilitation may be included in the
purchase price.
Counseling
All applicants are required to participate in
counseling and education about homeownership before
purchasing a home through this program. Both individual
and group workshops will be scheduled and presented by
OFO housing counselors. All required counseling and
education sessions are free for eligible participants.
Real Estate Agents
All real estate agents are able to participate in the
Homeownership Program and are chosen by customers with
terms being the same as normal home purchases.
Anyone interested in obtaining more information about
the City of Oneonta's Homeownership Program should
contact the City's Community Development Office at
432-0114. Questions can also be directed via
e-mail,
attention Joseph Bernier, Community Development Director
or by calling Opportunities for Otsego, Inc. at (607)
433-8318.
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Focus on Downtown Improvement
Strategies
The City of Oneonta's downtown area directly services
approximately 14,000 residents. The downtown area has
suffered dramatically from the exodus of stores to
suburban malls and has been forced to change its focus
from "retail development" to "diversity." This change
has helped make the Oneonta downtown a professional,
commercial center with medical and health related
services, banking and insurance and specialty retail and
eating establishments. It also includes government
operations and extensive housing.
Since 1990 Oneonta downtown improvement strategies
have tried to focus on downtown renewal, economic
development, and job creation activities. Downtown
improvements in recent years have been implemented by
the City's Office of Community Development using Small
Cities funds, Urban Development Action Grants
repayments, and local funds.
In 1993, the Downtown Oneonta Improvement Task Force
(DOIT) was formed and by 1994 had developed a "Strategic
Plan for Downtown Oneonta." This plan identified goals,
objectives, and projects designed to improve the
downtown physically, economically, and functionally.
Many of the strategies and projects proposed for the
downtown have been implemented and the downward spiral
of disinvestment has been slowed or reversed in many
areas. Unfortunately, downtown improvement needs are
critical in several key areas.
In June of 1995, the City in cooperation with a local
lending institution, established a Downtown Revolving
Loan Fund -- on a demonstration basis. The City and the
bank each contributed $100,000 to establish a loan fund
to be used by new and existing businesses. A loan
maximum of $12,500 was established and the blended rate
of City/bank funds is 4.2 percent. The maximum loan term
is seven years. In six months, the demonstration loan
fund generated 17 loans and commitments totaling
$171,500. The overwhelming success of the demonstration
program has helped to slow disinvestment and has
generated a demand and documented the need for its
continuation and expansion.
Expansion of the Downtown
Oneonta Investment Program
The City of Oneonta recently received funds from the
United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development to expand its current Downtown Revolving
Loan Fund Program. The expanded program will consist of
$300,000 in HUD funds and $150,000 in bank funds from
the Wilber National Bank in 1996. The total two year
request for $700,000 will be matched by $300,000 from
Wilber National Bank and $100,000 from Key Bank.
The terms of the existing Downtown Program will be
modified slightly under the expanded Downtown Oneonta
Investment Program. Because of higher risk, higher debt
ratios, and previous commitments, the bank has agreed to
match public funds on a 1:2 ratio rather than the
previous 1:1 ratio of private dollars to public dollars.
Because of the greater commitment of investment, the
loan ceiling will be raised to $25,000 from the current
$12,500 limit.
The City anticipates making 30 loans (15 in 1996 and
15 in 1997) and to create a minimum of 100 jobs of which
at least 76 will be filled by low-moderate income
persons.
The Center for Economic and Community Development in
conjunction with DOIT is proposing to undertake a
business development program designed to promote
downtown and to assist in attracting new businesses to
vacant storefronts. The program will inlcude the
development of business prospectus, brochures, direct
mailings, recruitment services, and site visits. It will
also involve the development of a program to match the
needs determined in the completed market studies with
potential businesses. A downtown data base will also be
developed to specifically identify each available
business space with a detailed profile of each space so
that a potential retailer can be matched with
appropriate spaces.
The project will also create a permanent Business
Support Services Program to assist current, new, and
potential businesses downtown. This program will include
on-going workshops dealing with topics such as customer
marketing and advertising, cultural diversity,
presenting a business, and other similar topics of
interest to merchants. A personalized training program
will also be available to assist both start up
businesses and to assist existing businesses that are
experiencing problems.
Anyone interested in obtaining more information about
the Downtown Oneonta Investment Program should contact
the City's Community Development Office at 432-0114.
Questions can also be directed via
e-mail,
attention Joseph Bernier, Community Development
Director.
Program Administration
The Downtown Oneonta Investment Program will be
administered by the Community Development Office. The
City will administer the Small Cities project in
accordance with all federal and state regulations as may
be applicable, including those related to labor
standards, financial management, equal opportunity, NEPA,
and SEQR, cost allowance, citizen participation, and
procurement.
Revolving Loan Fund
The City has established a Revolving Loan Fund.
Repayments from loans granted under the Downtown
Investment Program as well as from other programs, will
be deposited for re-lending to other businesses and
industries.
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