This decision is being justified as a reaction to rising utility costs. The irony is hard to miss. The average household would love the option to ‘save money’ by turning off electricity in the middle of winter, but families and small businesses do not get that choice”

Scott Gray

BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — Power and heat will be shut off at the shuttered Ogdensburg Correctional Facility due to rising utility costs, but the state has offered no plans for reusing or demolishing the building.

In 2022, when the state closed the prison, then-Mayor Jeffrey M. Skelly and fellow City Council members called on the state to maintain heat in order to preserve the structure.

The effort was successful.

In subsequent years, the state made a commitment to repurposing the prisons it had closed, but when the report came from the commission charged with that duty, little to nothing of significance was included for the city’s prison.

Despite the lack of action from the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration had been willing to heat the facility in the interest of preserving the building.

Assemblyman Scott Gray, R-Watertown, said the decision by the state is not only concerning, but also ironic, since New York state has seen a rise in energy costs driven by its own renewable energy efforts.

“News that utilities are being shut off and the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility is being fully decommissioned is deeply concerning for the community,” Gray said in a prepared statement. “This decision is being justified as a reaction to rising utility costs. The irony is hard to miss. The average household would love the option to ‘save money’ by turning off electricity in the middle of winter, but families and small businesses do not get that choice.”

Gray noted the community has also experienced what happens when New York state walks away from property. He pointed to the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center site, which sat with decaying buildings for decades.

“Nobody should have to endure another long stretch of rotting structures, safety hazards and blight,” he said. “At minimum, state agencies should maintain basic heat and utilities to prevent deterioration and protect the surrounding area while providing a clear, public plan with firm timelines for demolition, remediation or productive reuse. Turning the lights off is not a plan. It is a guarantee the community will pay for it later, one way or another.”

City Councilor Dan Skamperle also expressed frustration at a recent City Council meeting. Skamperle was on the council at the time of the closure and was among the members who urged the state to keep the heat on at the facility.

While local officials remain hopeful the state will change course, there is little evidence to suggest the heat will return.