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by Linda Kaidan
As New York’s population decline continues Marcy’s Cree nanotechnology manufacturer draws real-estate buyers to our neighborhoods. Data from realtor.com shows that on 6/17/20 only 3 homes of any kind were available for sale in Marcy.
Proximity to Marcy is a strong indicator of reduced number of homes for sale.
Using realtor.com’s filter of all housing types including mobile, multi-family and single-family homes while excluding homes under contract, I collected statistics of homes for sale in 10 nearby communities. US census data provides population data. The distance of each location to Marcy is derived from Google maps. I also created an availability statistic which is a function of population and available homes for sale.
| Distance to Marcy in miles | Towns |
| 1-10 | Mohawk, Frankfort, Whitesboro, Rome, Utica, New Hartford |
| 11-20 | Herkimer |
| 21-30 | Little Falls, German Flats |
The highest availability of homes for sale was found in Little Falls with one home for every 95 people.
In contrast, the lowest availability was found in Utica with one home available for every 905 people.
Lower availability of homes for sale suggests that we construct new affordable housing.
As internet purchasing outstrips brick and mortar retail establishments, outdated and defunct structures become available for re-purposing as residential communities. An example of an outstanding makeover target is the abandoned Kmart located at 200 Washington St, Herkimer. This property has over 6.7 acres of sub-dividable land and is assessed at $2 million. In convenient walking distance to numerous amenities, it also offers relaxing views of the beautiful Mohawk Valley hills.
A close example of such an affordable housing construction project currently underway is the Snohomish County Washington site, formerly a Kmart. Four hundred much needed residential units will replace the unused commercial area. Building energy efficient smaller homes with multi use and shared community spaces will positively impact our quality of life.
Affordable owner-occupied homes and improved public transportation will create a stronger community and a healthy local economy.
It’s clear that Marcy’s new nanotechnology industry drives Central NY housing shortage. But we can use this to our advantage by creatively creating affordable and accessible housing alternatives.