Village leaders, developers escort Assemblyman Billy Jones on walk through of Oval Wood Dish complex

Set to take a tour

Assemblyman Billy Jones and his staff took a tour of the former Oval Wood Dish buildings Friday with masked-up village leaders and the development team from the Lahinch Group of Syracuse- the second visit in recent weeks. From left ready to set off on the tour of the massive dozen-building premises were (from left): Mayor Paul Maroun, who has been working with the Lahinch group for over a year, Developer Joe Gehm, Christoper Trevisani of Housing Visions of Syracuse, Assemblyman Billy Jones, Developer Michel Dunyk and Village Trustees Ron LaScala, Clint Hollingsworth and Jason McClain. (McClelland photo)

by Dan McClelland

Village leaders and the developers of the ambitious conversion of the former Oval Wood Dish Corp. complex on Demars Blvd. treated Assemblyman Billy Jones to a tour Friday afternoon of the long dormant former industrial site and all the wonderful things proposed for it which include 92 new apartment units.

On the tour of the place that day joining developers Joseph Gehm and Michael Dunyk of the Lahinch Group of Syracuse was Christopher Trevisani, vice president of business development for Housing Visions, another Syracuse company which specializes in revitalizing urban neighborhoods.

Mr. Gehm may be a face familiar to some here and in Long Lake as he and his family have owned and enjoyed a summer residence in Long Lake for a number of years.

Accompanying Mayor Paul Maroun were Trustees Clint Hollingsworth, Jason McClain and Ron LaScala.

Assemblyman Jones served on the Franklin County Legislature with Mr. Maroun before being elected to the state assembly to succeed Assemblywoman Janet Dupuis several years ago. They are good friends.

Absent from the event was Charlie Breuer of the Hueber-Breuer construction company, another member of the Lahinch group’s development team, Joe Gehm explained to the group that afternoon. Hueber-Breuer was the company that directed the building of the village's Emergency Services Building several years ago.

Accompanying the state lawmaker were two of his aides, Molly Ryan and Greg Janisewski.

Joe Gehm told the group they are looking to put 92 apartments in the complex of buildings, as well as some commercial tenants.

“What they are doing is very good stuff,” Assemblyman Jones said at the start of the tour. “We were just talking at the village office that there are a lot of good things going on right now in Tupper Lake with recreation, the waterfront projects, the business district developments and new businesses there.”

“I was just telling Paul and the board members what a difference five or six years has made on your main street,” he noted. “It’s unbelievable. I remember coming here with Paul when we were both county legislators” when Park Street didn’t shine as well.

He said one key to a thriving community is having available and affordable housing. “-And this is what these gentlemen are doing,” pointing to the developers.

“To take this location and refurbish it” to create available housing is part of Tupper Lake’s coming evolution.

Part of the complex most recently housed Roger Sullivan’s O.W.D. Inc. plastic utensil manufacturing. Mr. Sullivan sold it to the Jarden company which operated it for about two years, before closing in the early 2000s.

“Good housing is something you need in a community” to be sustainable and they will help provide that, he said of the developers’ mission. “Right now there is a lack of housing stock in Tupper Lake and this will certainly put a big dent in that! ”

“My hat's off to them and I look forward to seeing the end product. It’s going to be great for this area!” the state lawmaker concluded.