Giving New Life to a Historic Building – The Historic Ford Block
The Downtown Oneonta Historic District is included on the League’s 2022-2023 Seven to Save list. As part of our outreach, we contacted local nonprofit Springbrook to learn more about their current Historic Tax Credit project in the downtown district. In addition to graciously hosting us for a tour of the building, they also shared this guest blog post. Keep reading to learn more about the revitalization of the Ford Block building.
A street level view of the Ford Block building. The first floor storefronts are home to active businesses including a bank and a bookstore. The second and third floors had been vacant for decades and are currently under construction to create much-needed housing in downtown Oneonta.
Decades of urban renewal shaped and changed the social fabric of the city of Oneonta, as well as movement in industries like the railroad to long-haul trucking and the closure of major manufacturers in the area. What was once a vibrant downtown of local-owned shops, a grocer, a department store, and more, gave way to razed or vacant buildings. The Ford Block, which occupies 186-212 Main Street, was built between 1881 and 1882 in a modified Queen Anne style of architecture. The building was commissioned by Eliakim Reed Ford, one of the founders of Oneonta. At the ground level, this building has been home to small businesses, as is the case today, although the upper levels have served a variety of functions. When Springbrook, a nonprofit provider of services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, purchased the Ford Block building in July 2022, they committed to preserving the historical past of Oneonta for the future of Oneonta’s community and bringing this vibrancy back to downtown.
A group of people look inside the empty third floor of the Ford building. Work is underway to frame out 12 apartments on both the second and third floors.
The preservation of the Ford Block was not always a priority; many buildings in Oneonta have been demolished over decades. Urban renewal in the 1970s saw the loss of many buildings, most of which today would be considered historical, including what was at one time one of the largest roundhouses in the world, located between River Street and Chestnut Street. The roundhouse went out of use in the 1950s and was torn down in the mid to late 1970s. The buildings along Broad Street were also razed. This street connected Main Street with Water Street and Market Street below and was also a Main Street connection to the train depot (vacant today). The Westcott building was razed and developed into what is now the Westcott parking lot. The Ford Block buildings upper levels remained empty for decades until and after being saved from demolition in 1975. Interest in protecting the building was renewed, and in 1984 the Ford Block building was added to the National Register of Historic Places; meanwhile, the downtown of the City of Oneonta was designated a historic district in 2003.
A corner of the empty third floor, featuring large windows, some with blue and red stained glass arches. The project is expected to be complete in the summer of 2023.
The Ford on Main, as the building is now called, is quite a large undertaking for the nonprofit. The upper floors of the building will be renovated to include 24 all-new and all-modern studio and one-bedroom market-rate apartments, while retail will remain on the main and lower levels. The addition of an elevator will give residents access to all levels. The opportunity to invest back into a community after 90 years of support in the area made sense. The renovations will provide integrated housing for those with a disability and lead to community-based employment. It will also bring more business to Main Street Oneonta. “We wanted to be a part of the revitalization of the downtown area,” said Seth Haight, Chief Operations Officer at Springbrook. He continued, “We have a strong connection with downtown Oneonta, from the people who work here to the people who choose our services—we work and live here. We have community homes within walking distance of Main Street. So, we are invested in the community, and this is just one more piece of investment.”
While urban renewal and development around the Oneonta area and downtown shaped the city, preserving and renovating historic buildings like the Ford Block is an opportunity to rejuvenate this city and celebrate diversity in the community. Today, the Ford On Main houses a bank, a café, a bookstore, and more. With current renovations, Springbrook hopes to create a destination of the future.