Editorial No New Uses For OCF

St. Lawrence County Legislator Vernon "Sam" Burns is absolutely correct when he argues no one should be expecting the state to offer a new use for the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility if it closes.

State officials and state legislators have been trying to to con prison supporters that there are other uses available for prisons that the state closes.

The legislation that would close the prisons includes provisions that spell out that New York State has to propose a "reuse plan."

The problem is people in Ogdensburg have been waiting 40 years for a "reuse plan" for the already vacant buildings at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center.

State officials have been promising that some day they'll cooperate with local officials and help redevelop the vacant buildings at the Psychiatric Center for new uses. But over the past 30 years, it's become quite clear through both Republican and Democratic administrations that New York State government has no intention of helping to find new uses for vacant buildings.

What state officials will soon start promising is that they'll have state economic development officials find new businesses to come to Ogdensburg.

But state economic officials have a terrible track record in Northern New York.

Basically, if the state abandons the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility, they'll make a lot of vague promises, but then they'll quietly turn off the heat and allow the buildings to deteriorate so they can not be used for anything.