By JIMMY LAWTON

POTSDAM – A massive renovation project at Clarkson’s downtown Congdon and Old Snell buildings will likely begin this spring and is expected to provide student housing and wide range of opportunities for local artists, entrepreneurs and children.

The plan calls for Congdon to be turned into 72 housing units for graduate students following a $12 million renovation, while Old Snell will become an art center, museum, business incubator and apartment space.

The project gained support form the North Country Regional Economic Development Council and Empire State Development, which offered $1.2 million to help establish the museum and arts center. Collectively the museum and arts center have been dubbed the Regional Arts and Interactive Learning (RAIL) project.

Omni Development Company, Inc., Albany, is undertaking the project. Omni’s Chief Operating Officer David Barrett says the work will be divided into two projects, with construction beginning at Congdon.

Barrett said his company draws on a wealth of development experience in the Central New York region.

Clarkson will lease both buildings to Omni on a 30-year-ground lease. Currently, both buildings are owned by Clarkson and are not taxable. However, Barrett says his company hopes to negotiate a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the Village of Potsdam.

Barrett said negotiations for such and agreement have not begun and could not provide and estimate on what the payment might be.

Congdon Rehab

The rehabilitation of Congdon is estimated at $12 million. Barrett said the project is the easier of the two and will consist of repurposing the building for graduate student housing. Once completed, a total of 72 apartment units will be available.

Barrett said the apartments could potentially be opened up to upperclassmen, including males and females, if there is not an adequate demand in housing from graduate students. He said this will likely help downtown businesses as the students will be living within the village.

Barrett said Omni’s goal is to maintain the historical qualities of the building, which dates back to the days of the Potsdam Normal School, predecessor to SUNY Potsdam. To fund the project, Omni hopes to leverage federal and state historic tax credits to help offset the costs.

“This project is pretty easy for us. It’s real estate. It’s what we do,” he said.

Barrett said Condgon project would likely be completed by fall of 2015.

Old Snell More Complicated

The second phase of Omni’s Development plan is much more complicated, according to Barrett. In addition to the $1.2 million NCREDC funding and support from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the project also includes collaboration from local universities, businesses and organizations.

Barrett said the NCREDC funding will cover roughly half of the cost associated with outfitting the first floor, but he is hopeful that additional grants may help offset more of the cost.

Melissa Wagner Telford, who is managing the RAIL project, says the first floor will be divided into a section for the St. Lawrence Arts Council and the North Country Children’s Museum. The museum will include a play space, innovation station, fun a fitness area, museum store and community room. The arts council section includes a large exhibit space and retail gallery.

Barrett says the hope is to increase traffic in Potsdam’s village by drawing people from St. Lawrence County and beyond.

“The theory of RAIL, is that engaging children early in life in activities that promote arts and learning sets them on a course of higher achievement,” he said. “We see museums and performing arts and visual arts as economic development. They draw people from outside the community and they are part of fabric and quality of life in every community.”

While the state public funding will be used solely for the first floor, Barrett said that is only part of plan for the Old Snell Building. There is also a planned incubator space on the second floor and plans to retain the existing auditorium that seats roughly 500 people.

Barrett said there is potential for Start-Up NY incentives at the incubation center, but no plans have been set. “I think that’s something that would be appropriate and beneficial for the project,” he said.

Barrett said he hopes the space would be used for community performances, music and more. The third floor will be converted into apartments that would be open to students as well as the public.

Although he could not give an answer with certainty, Barrett said he is optimistic construction on the Old Snell Building would begin in 2015.

Benefits for Potsdam

Clarkson Chief Financial Officer James Fish said the project is a big win for Clarkson. He said the university is pleased to have found a developer interested in using the properties.

“It’s going to benefit the school most directly by providing quality safe housing for our graduate students,” he said. “The other major motivator is to revitalize downtown Potsdam.”

Fish said he sees potential for collaboration between Clarkson’s own Rec Center, a small business incubator, and the one proposed by Omni.

But the most appealing aspect, according to Fish, is the fact the historic buildings won’t become a blight on the community.

“From Clarkson’s point of view this project will bring these old attractive buildings into heavier use and reestablish them as part of Potsdam’s vibrant downtown.”