A public hearing will be held today regarding the “Restore New York” initiative that could be used for the potential repurposing of the Furniture Mart Building.

The public hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers prior to the City Council’s voting session. The council will vote on a resolution that would authorize Mayor Eddie Sundquist to, “Execute all necessary documents with New York State and Empire State Development” if the city receives funding through round six of the Restore New York Communities Initiative grant application.

In partnership with the Empire State Development Corp., the state has initiated an application process for round 5 of the Restore New York Communities Initiative Municipal Grant Program. The state’s goal is to revitalize urban centers by providing funding to local municipalities.

The city recently completed an “Intent to Apply for Restore New York Funding” for the “Furniture Market Building Redevelopment” project, which was approved Aug. 31. The project proposed for the Furniture Mart Building involved a multi-use and repurposing of the 111 W. Second St. building according to state guidelines.

According to the City Council’s proposed resolution, the project, “Develops new downtown residential opportunities and rehabilitates vacant and currently unusable office space that will attract, create and sustain high technology employment opportunities.”

The resolution would potentially provide grant funding, if awarded by the state, for the owner of the Furniture Mart Building to utilize in the redevelopment of the building, which could provide new opportunities for the space that once served as the center of Jamestown’s furniture manufacturing empire.

In the years following the decline of Jamestown’s furniture manufacturing business, the building has been used for a variety of purposes. For decades, the building has primarily been utilized for commercial office space.

In 2019, the Jamestown City Council approved a resolution supporting the Gebbie Foundation’s consolidated funding application through New York’s Regional Economic Development Council program. At the time, the organization was looking for a grant that would help the Gebbie Foundation’s $20 million redevelopment project for the building in conjunction with Arthur Bailey, the owner of the building.

Over the summer, a portion of West Second Street was closed for an inspection of the Furniture Mart Building and for repair on the outer facade of the building. A contractor from Buffalo secured loose bricks on the top of the building to ensure public safety after city officials discovered bricks had fallen from the building.