Local News Bites

[Elmira Telegram 285]

I am temporarily locking this down. Folks, try to keep the conversation in the correct threads so I don't have to continue moving stuff around. 

Talk about Brand Park Pool here

Talk about illegal immigration, Title 42, etc. here.

[Chris 1,914]

H.L. Stephens is moving out of their Arnot Mall location to a new store located in The Shops at Chambers.

That should just about kill off an entire wing of the mall, other than they gym. (I think? I haven’t been to the mall in a long time.)

[Elizabeth Whitehouse 18]

The Mall is basically dead. They had some very good ideas for revamping it, but those seem to have gone nowhere. One was to turn the place outwards. That is, make the retail spaces accessible from the outside.Like the Brand Park pool, it needs to be repurposed into a multi-use facility with some retail, lots of living space. Keep the cinemas. Dig up the parking lots and landscape them.

[MsKreed 1,059]

11 hours ago, Chris said:

H.L. Stephens is moving out of their Arnot Mall location to a new store located in The Shops at Chambers.

That should just about kill off an entire wing of the mall, other than they gym. (I think? I haven’t been to the mall in a long time.)

There’s a local group that holds a car show every Friday (4-8pm) outside the vacant Sears and HL Stephens end of the mall.  I attended on recently and went inside the mall to take a look while I was there. It was very disheartening.

There were more people in the parking lot for the informal little car show than all of the shoppers and employees inside the mall combined.  Not only the number of empty stores....but many that were still operating were closed by 5pm on a Friday night.  

It was relayed to me that one of the vendors from the Food Court often operates a sandwich truck for car show attendees....and has expressed that he makes more money on those Fridays than the entire rest of the week inside the mall.

Edited August 26 by MsKreed

[Adam 329]

we were at mall getting shoes tonight, wasnt even 730pm and the amount of remaining stores that were closed was sad. i suppose the mall is getting a taste of what happened to elmira when IT came along, but its not surprising, weve visited family in Niagra falls for years, and there are quite a few similar setups that are in same condition.

[Chris 1,914]

The flooding on I-86 from elmira to Horseheads is insane from what I'm seeing online. I don't think I've ever seen it do that before. 

photo courtesy of Chemung County Sheriff's Office

[MsKreed 1,059]

1 hour ago, Chris said:

The flooding on I-86 from elmira to Horseheads is insane from what I'm seeing online. I don't think I've ever seen it do that before. 

You're not kidding.

Here are some shots of the area by Lattabrook Park (Coca Cola, Scwanns)

Can't seem to get the embed to work.

<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fandrew.stamp.3%2Fvideos%2F232745049755363%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>

Edited August 28 by MsKreed

[Chris 1,914]

That’s some crazy ass run off from the hill, looks like. Newtown Creek is on the other side and too far for that kind of flooding. 

[Chris 1,914]

One of my wife’s co-workers sent her this pic in the midst of it all:

[Chris 1,914]

Even I'm not sure where to put this, and since it's not political per so, I guess this is as good a place as any. 

I saw this on Facebook this week:

And with absolutely no ill will intended towards Brent, I have to ask, what are the qualifications one needs to sit on this committee? Why would a county legislator, whose entire district is within the city limits, be appointed to a committee pertaining to rural and agricultural affairs? Seems to me there are legislators representing actual rural districts who would be better suited for something like this. 

 

[Elizabeth Whitehouse 18]

I have to agree with you. Not sure where his "experience and knowledge" come from.

[KarenK 354]

Not a clue.  He's a nice enough guy I guess but those Ag folks (and I speak from experience lol) can be brutal.

[Elizabeth Whitehouse 18]

What do they hope to get out of appointing him? Must be something.

 

[KarenK 354]

4 minutes ago, Elizabeth Whitehouse said:

What do they hope to get out of appointing him? Must be something.

 

Most likely it was the position available.  They all get appointed to something.

[Elizabeth Whitehouse 18]

not the best way to fill positions!!!!!

[Hal 318]

Look , I like Brent Stermer and all but have doubts on his “experience and knowledge “ of the rural , much less the agricultural concerns of Chemung County . Now does this only concern the larger family farms or the small time sustenance farmers as well ? Because as I see it a farmer is a farmer is a farmer , no matter the size of the operation , no matter the product . 

[Elizabeth Whitehouse 18]

To me, this says that an overhaul of committee appointments is called for.

Why not ask Lawanna Morse (13th district) who she would like to see as the Legislative representative for the farmers of Chemung County? She is a farmer and presides over a mostly rural district.

[Elizabeth Whitehouse 18]

AND. Do we have an accounting of where the rest of the money is.  "Some of the biggest amounts include $2,296,442.59 to repair the clock tower at City Hall. So far, the City has spent only $7,094.61."  What are they going to do with the remaining $2,2889,000 odd? Does clock tower work have to spear over several years?  What has happened to that money?

[Chris 1,914]

Postal Pizza, formerly known as "Pizza Pickup" and "Campus Pizza" ( for a short time ) has announced they are closed effective today. 

[Chris 1,914]

I've branched the talk of Mooneys and the mall to it's own thread. There's a lot of potential for conversation apparently, and it keeps this one from getting bogged down. You can find the new thread HERE 

[Chris 1,914]

I see this morning that not only is the "Elmira R.I.S.E" business which just had a ribbon cutting Nov. 30th already done, but Downtown Grind is up for sale as well. Read more here. 

[Hal 318]

I have to wonder two things . 
Did they do their due diligence when it came to the permitting process as its more involved than some would think . Also were they getting any help wading through the zoning ordinances from the Code Enforcement department. 

[KarenK 354]

4 hours ago, Chris said:

I see this morning that not only is the "Elmira R.I.S.E" business which just had a ribbon cutting Nov. 30th already done, but Downtown Grind is up for sale as well. Read more here. 

It's all over an occupancy certificate apparently.  He had the health dept permit and subleasing a space from The Grind however because he was operating regular business hours (vs the pop ups that show up there all the time) he needed that other occupancy certificate.  It appears they shared the kitchen.

So how hard to get an occupancy cert?  Sounds like rather than do that, a small tantrum was had and he said forget it, I'm leaving.

 

[KarenK 354]

Per the Grind's FB today

[Hal 318]

1 hour ago, KarenK said:

So how hard to get an occupancy cert?

Depends on when and if you can get Code Enforcement to issue one . And did they apply for a Variance to sub let the space .