Old Johnson City High School Ordered Closed by Code Enforcement

The NY-Penn Trade Center in Johnson City - which is to be converted into an apartment complex - has been declared an "unsafe structure."

The village code enforcement department has posted notices on the former Johnson City High School building at 435 Main Street.

The red-and-white signs on the front and back sides of the structure state it is "not to be occupied." The notices were signed by the village fire marshal.

The Lane Group plans to transform the old school into 58 market-rate apartments. A public hearing on proposed tax breaks for the project was held by the Broome County Industrial Development Agency October 8. The code enforcement signs were posted the following day.

The electrical system to one half of the building is said to be inoperative. There also appeared to be issues with the sprinkler system.

Johnson City fire marshal Bob Blakeslee said one of the biggest problems with the property was that it was unsecured. He said neighbors frequently observed people coming and going at the building at night. People apparently have been living in the building from time to time.

Blakeslee said it wasn't clear if the electrical issues were related to vandalism or if people were trying to steal wire from the property.

The old high school opened for classes in 1915. It was used until 1970 when the new Johnson City High School opened. For the past half-century, the place has been home to a wide array of tenants, including businesses and churches.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.