Thursday, September 6, 2007 

798-5800

Picente: Broadacres Demolition Begins;

Deerfield ’s Input Sought On Re-Use Plans

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. today announced that demolition of vacant buildings at the former Broadacres Skilled Nursing Facility in Deerfield has begun and that County Officials will be meeting soon with Deerfield residents and officials to gather their input for the re-use of the 60-acre site.

“Demolition of these long-empty buildings is just the first step in the process,” Picente said. “Broadacres occupies some very nice real estate in a wonderful residential area of Deerfield . My personal belief is that the next use of the land should be in keeping with the overall residential character of its surroundings, because that would both put the land on the tax rolls and provide some new housing opportunities in one of the area’s growing suburbs. However, I want to make sure we hear the thoughts of the people of the town while we are still early in the process.”

Picente said he has scheduled a meeting to discuss the re-use of Broadacres at 7 p.m. on September 17^th at the Deerfield Municipal Building on Walker Road . County officials and town officials will be on hand to answer residents’ questions and discuss the demolition and re-use process.

Picente said demolition operations began this week. The contract for demolition was awarded to Ritter & Paratore Contracting, Inc. of Utica , New York , after a competitive bidding process. Demolition is being funded through a $1 million state grant secured in 2006 by then-County Executive Joseph A. Griffo.

            Broadacres was built in 1929 as a tuberculosis sanitarium. It was converted to a nursing hone in 1966 before closing in 1996. It was used for records storage in the late 1990s.