Enacted Budget Includes Funding For Progress on Former J.N. Adam Developmental Center

ALBANY – Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I- 57th District), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee today announced that the final state budget includes $235,000 to fund a study of the potential uses for the former J. N. Adam Developmental Center in Perrysburg.

The budget funding is the latest effort by Senator Young and Assemblyman Joseph Giglio (R,C,I– Gowanda) to advance the long-vacant J.N. Adam site toward a new future.

“Getting this funding included in the state budget was a necessary step toward progress that has been years in the making, and it is a huge step forward in solving the ongoing problems at the site. Assemblyman Giglio and I fought hard to get this funding included, because the members of the Perrysburg community deserve to have their state and local governments address the issues confronting the facility,” said Senator Young.

Last year, legislation authored by Senator Young and Assemblyman Giglio called for the state to produce a report on the best and alternative uses for the property. However, the bill was ultimately vetoed by Governor Cuomo because of the potential fiscal impact that would be imposed on the state agencies tasked with producing the report.

The report will now be able to advance, because of the funding secured by Senator Young and Assemblyman Giglio.

Under the details of the funding, the study will analyze the historic significance of the existing buildings that comprise the center, and determine their potential for reuse. The report will be produced in consultation with the commissioners of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), the Empire State Development Corporation, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).The study will also give the state agencies the opportunity to solicit input from the public.

Once completed, copies of the study and analysis will be provided to the governor, the Legislature and local officials representing Cattaraugus County, the Town of Perrysburg, and the City of Buffalo.

Originally transferred to the State in 1948, the former J.N. Adam Developmental Center consists of 44 buildings that were constructed between 1912 and 1951 to serve as a tuberculosis hospital. The site was later converted into a state-run residential and treatment facility for the then-Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, which later became OPWDD. In 1991, OPWDD determined that a majority of the 670 acre parcel was no longer needed; but the agency retained approximately 16 acres for the maintenance of a group home. Since 1991, many of the buildings, most of which contain asbestos and lead paint, have begun to rot and deteriorate at a rapid pace. The Town of Perrysburg has now identified the site as a potential health hazard due to the continued neglect, disrepair, and lack of security.

Efforts have been made over the years to place the property up for sale. However, several legal impediments, including a right of reverter clause held by the City of Buffalo, and numerous environmental concerns have been barriers to the ultimate sale of the property.