A state-funded initiative is paving the way for the revitalization of the former Endicott-Johnson New Toe Box Factory in Johnson City.

Located at 19 Avenue B, E-J New Toe Box Factory was a longtime footwear producer and supplier, providing the United States Army with footwear during World Wars I and II. The structure was later used as a thrift store by the Volunteers of America, which closed in 2015 when the organization shuttered its upstate New York stores. It has stayed vacant for several years since then.

On Feb. 24, Gov. Kathy Hochul awarded Johnson City an $80,000 assistance grant as part of Johnson City’s certification as a pro-housing community. The Pro-Housing Community Program was established by Hochul through a July 2023 executive order to “reward local governments that are working hard to address New York’s housing crisis.” Select municipalities received part of $650 million in allocated discretionary funds for residential development.

“Johnson City was included as one of the first 20 communities in NYS to be recognized as a Pro Housing Community a few years ago, and we appreciate this funding opportunity made possible by Gov. Hochul and the Housing Trust Fund Corporation,” wrote Johnson City Mayor Christina Charuk MAT ‘19 in a statement to Pipe Dream. “We are planning to use the funding to complete a site re-use and housing feasibility study of the building. Our goal through this project is to assist with the redevelopment of this downtown asset. We will explore mixed-use options and determine what commercial uses may pair best with residential [uses] at the site and will be engaging the community to hear their input soon.”

The funding will be used to finance several studies and site assessments to determine the best use for the 7,000-square-foot building.

In an interview with Pipe Dream, Charuk emphasized community involvement, potentially through open forums where residents can discuss how they want the building to be used. While the end goal for the project is undetermined, Charuk expressed a desire for the structure to be a mixed-use, shared community space.

“That’s what I would like to see, personally,” Charuk said. “But it’s going to come down to what the study says is feasible.”

This is not Johnson City’s first attempt at redeveloping the building. Syracuse developer Matthew Paulus agreed to purchase the structure for $100,000 in 2021. He claimed he had “a great mixed-use project planned for that site” that was expected to include housing. However, in 2024, former Johnson City Mayor Martin Meaney revealed that Paulus had stepped away from the project.

Charuk said that she and her team are speaking with another private developer regarding the potential transformation of the property. According to Charuk, the developer is potentially interested in turning the first floor into retail or community space, while the second and third floors could be converted into “multigenerational, multi-income housing.”

Although the two parties have yet to reach a formal agreement, the discussion marks the beginning of future development for 19 Avenue B.

“The thing that I keep trying to communicate with everybody is that the interest that our historic buildings have and the overall interest from the county and the state just goes to show how important Johnson City really is,” Charuk said. “So I’m dedicated to maintaining those relationships and really making it ‘Destination Johnson City.’ I think we can be the ‘it’ place.”