Catskill Watershed Corp. and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection broken ground for a 35,000-sq.-ft. building near Arkville on Sept. 28.
The new office complex, housing a total of more than 70 employees from both agencies, is located on Delaware County Route 38.
The $19-million project calls for the construction of a two-story building which will be owned by Catskill Watershed. The DEP will lease space for up to 44 employees.
The building, designed by Keystone Associates, is configured with two wings connected by a common lobby. One side will accommodate 27 offices allocated to Catskill Watershed, and the other will house the DEP offices.
The building will also include a 144-seat auditorium and a 700-sq.-ft exhibition area to be occupied by the Water Discovery Center. The discovery center will be designed and managed by the non-profit WDC organization that also plans to develop a nature trail on 33 acres behind the building stretching to the East Branch of the Delaware River.
A kitchen and dining area, several small conference rooms and an outdoor courtyard are planned. There will be parking for 144 cars and two buses. A 2,263-sq.-ft. garage will house the DEP vehicles and equipment.
Site work on the 8-acre parcel will begin in early October by Smith Site Development of Binghamton. Construction is estimated to take 14 months, with the building expected to be occupied in early 2020.
The general contractor is F. E. Jones Construction of Binghamton.
