Binghamton University Can’t Lease Postal Service Property

An effort to use an abandoned U.S. Postal Service building in downtown Binghamton for a university library annex has been unsuccessful.

Binghamton University officials had hoped to utilize the massive structure at 120 Chenango Street as a library storage facility.

The building was built in 1967 on the site of the old Carlton Hotel. It was used as a Family Bargain Center for several years and later as an electronics manufacturing facility before it was acquired by the postal service.

University president Harvey Stenger said the school's offer to lease the facility was rejected.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Stenger said the university libraries have a need for storage off-campus storage space. He said there are 800,000 books now being stored at a facility in the town of Conklin.

Stenger said efforts continue to find a storage site closer to the Vestal campus. He said an appropriate warehouse facility would have 50,000 square feet of space with 15-foot high ceilings.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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