Developer proposes 22 apartments, small retail at East End building; public hearing to be scheduled

Developer Morris Reed told the Glens Falls Industrial Development Agency on Sept. 16 that he plans to convert an existing warehouse complex in the city’s East End into 22 apartments with about 500 square feet of first‑floor commercial space.

The project, which Reed said would reuse the existing building footprint rather than add a large new addition, is scheduled for a city planning‑board review Oct. 1. Reed said the average monthly rent would be about $13.50 per square foot. "Our new proposal is 22 apartments and about 500 square feet of commercial space," Reed said.

The IDA’s staff and board discussed next steps and application timing. Katie, who chaired the IDA meeting, asked Reed to submit a final IDA application after planning‑board approval and said staff would publish the application and set a public hearing at a future IDA meeting. "So, I'll work with Jeff to make sure that your application is final and complete once you have your planning board approval," Katie said.

Board members and city speakers raised issues that Reed said he has addressed or will address before applying. Those included exterior security and site lighting, interim site maintenance, and nearby street and neighborhood conditions. A city official at the meeting said the site had been a long‑standing spot where people experiencing homelessness camped and that cleanup and security coordination with police had been part of the developer’s early work.

Reed described steps he has already taken since acquiring the property in April — securing buildings, doing facade repairs and roof work, and removing squatters — and said the team had pivoted from a larger earlier plan to the current 22‑unit scheme after cost and structural considerations. He said the design aims to reuse much of the existing frame and to add green space and parking adjustments to meet zoning requirements.

Board members asked Reed to provide the final planning‑board approvals, refined rent schedules and a complete IDA application so staff can calculate and publish the required notice for taxing jurisdictions and schedule the IDA public hearing. The board did not take a formal vote on benefits or approvals at the Sept. 16 meeting; staff and the applicant will return with a completed application and materials for the next IDA agenda.

Background: IDA staff noted related downtown and neighborhood initiatives — including Restore NY and Brownfield Opportunity Area planning and available EPA Brownfields assessment funding — that could be relevant to redevelopment of nearby parcels. Reed said he expected interest from local retail tenants for the small commercial space but did not identify tenants at the meeting.

The IDA indicated it will post the completed application on its website and hold a public hearing as part of a future meeting; no tax incentives or pilot agreement had been granted at the Sept. 16 session.