New York Construction Report staff writer
Construction has started on a $46 million project that will convert the long-vacant Oval Wood Dish Factory into 80 affordable apartments, commercial space and community amenities. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the start of construction on the historic former factory in Franklin County.
The project is being developed by Housing Visions, Lahinch Group and Braxton Capital. Housing Visions Construction Co. is the general contractor, and Passero Associates is the architect.
The development will include 80 one- and two-bedroom apartments, three commercial spaces and a covered parking garage. Plans also call for a fitness room, courtyard, playground and walking paths.
The apartments will be available to households earning up to 90% of the area median income. Eight units will receive project-based Section 8 vouchers administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal.
Six apartments will be fully accessible, including four designed for residents with mobility disabilities and two for residents with sensory disabilities.
The building will be all-electric, using cold-climate heat pumps for heating and cooling. A whole-building ventilation system will provide fresh air while recovering heat that otherwise would be lost.
The project also includes new mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, fire suppression, utilities and site work. The existing concrete-block structure will be retained as part of the historic rehabilitation.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, with preleasing expected to begin in summer 2027.
“This development will breathe new life into a vacant factory while also filling the need for affordable housing in Tupper Lake,” Hochul said.
The Oval Wood Dish Factory was built in 1916 as the headquarters of the Oval Wood Dish Co. The factory produced wooden products including oval dishes, bowling pins and hardwood flooring.
At its peak, the plant operated 24 hours a day and employed more than 500 people. It closed in 1964. Jarden Plastic Solutions later used the facility from 2003 to 2008 to manufacture plastic products, including utensils.
The property was listed on the state and national registers of historic places in 2021.
The redevelopment will adapt the former industrial facility for residential and commercial use while retaining elements of the historic structure.
“It’s about taking a property that has sat vacant for decades and bringing it back to life in a way that creates real opportunity for our community,” said Tupper Lake Mayor Mary Fontana.
HCR says more than 2,500 affordable homes have been created or preserved in the North Country under Hochul’s administration.
The project also comes as the state works to increase workforce housing in the North Country through its Accelerate Workforce Housing initiative.
