What happens when a weak real estate market and under-regulated rental housing collide on the streets of Jamestown? People get trapped. Consider the recent case of a 71-year-old woman on Bush Street profiled by The Post-Journal. Her apartment was without hot water or...
The budget season is well underway in Albany as the Legislature deliberates over Governor Cuomo’s spending plan and the state’s projected $5 billion surplus. There’s much to be hopeful about as this process nears completion and as Western New York gains influence in...
Huge shadows cast by a growing forest of skyscrapers. Overcrowded tenements next to smoke-belching factories. Garment sweatshops encroaching on the mansions of millionaires. These and other pressures led to the adoption of America’s first citywide zoning...
Renovating an old building isn’t easy. Outdated electrical systems, inefficient windows, an attic full of pigeon droppings – these and many other problems are expensive barriers to the revitalization of buildings in our cities and villages. This is why starting from...
Jamestown’s responsible landlords are suffering at the hands of irresponsible landlords. And so is every neighbor. And every taxpayer. From chronic blight to daily nuisances, the ill effects of under-regulated rental housing have been apparent for a while, but they’re...
There are many reasons to feel positive about Jamestown’s prospects in the coming year – and just as many reasons to hope for speedier progress on numerous fronts. It’s the mood you’ll find in almost any city as the end of a year approaches and people take stock of...
When the Lakeview Avenue Community Action Project has its holiday party later this month, it will mark the end of a busy year in that neighborhood and the six other neighborhoods that participated in the 2014 Renaissance Block Challenge. It was a busy year in two...
How many people work in downtown Jamestown and which sectors employ the most people? What percentage of space on upper floors is occupied and by what uses? What are the average rents for different types of space? What proportion of storefronts house non-retail...
"Will the last person leaving town please turn out the lights." Variations of this phrase have been uttered in Jamestown and many other cities during economic downtimes. Real estate agents in Seattle even paid for billboards with this message in 1971 when that city...
Good news arrived for Chautauqua County's neighborhoods and Main streets this month when Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that his office will grant the Chautauqua County Land Bank another $1.3 million to battle vacancy and blight. This brings the Attorney...