An excavator demolishes one of the industrial buildings once located at Woods Corners in Norwich in this photo from December, 2025. The site is now one of several brownfield areas in Chenango County that may benefit from new study being pursued by the Chenango County Industrial Development Agency. (Photo by Shawn Magrath).

NORWICH – The Chenango County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is embarking on what’s likely to be a years-long endeavor to identify viable uses for brownfield areas located throughout Chenango County.

The IDA, working in conjunction with Chenango County Department of Planning and Development, is moving on a pre-planning application for a New York State Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) grant.

The state’s BOA program provides funding that would allow Chenango County and the IDA to develop a more thorough plan to redevelop brownfield areas, industrial areas where suspected contamination complicates redevelopment.

Several brownfield sites have already been identified in the City of Norwich and Town of Norwich.

The IDA voted this month on a resolution committing $5,000 for a pre-planning application to the NYS Department of State that will pinpoint brownfield areas across all 900 square miles of Chenango County.

The agency is contracting with LaBella Associates, a private consultation firm, to help identify brownfields to include in the application.

If the state approves the IDA’s proposal, the IDA and Chenango County could be awarded up to $200,000 to complete a detailed study that outlines viable uses for the county’s brownfield areas, setting in motion potential projects that would bolster economic development in the region.

The grant would require a 10 percent match ($20,000) to be paid either by Chenango County or the IDA.

It’s a process that may take years from pre-planning to award, said Commerce Chenango Economic Development Director Tyler Oliver.

There are a lot of areas in the county that could be designated as a brownfield area,” Oliver told the IDA board, citing Woods Corners in the Town of Norwich as an example.

The site once housed administrative offices for Chobani, but the buildings were demolished earlier this year and the IDA has continually sought private interest in developing the site.

“If we put the application out this month, we wouldn’t find out about it until late fall. By the time we get a consultant out to do the actual BOA plan, we’re looking at a year-long endeavor at least,” Oliver said. “It’s a long process. If we start to do the process now, that would be beneficial.”

The Chenango County Industrial Development Agency holds its regular meetings at 8 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.

Meetings are usually held at Commerce Chenango, 19 East Main St., Norwich, across from the post office on the second floor.

The Chenango County Industrial Development Agency board members are R.C. Woodford of Chenango County, Louis Callea of Callea Legal Services, Brian Burton of NBT Bank, Frank Crawford of Kerry Bio, Michael Khoury of the Town of Smyrna, Stanley Foulds of the Town of Norwich and Taylor Zieno of Golden Artist Colors.

All regular CCIDA meetings are open to the public and shared on YouTube. Agendas and meeting materials are posted in advance when available.