For sale signs are now up in front of one well-known Auburn property.
Located at the corner of Columbus and Orchard Streets, The former Alco/Bombardier building is being sold by Alstom, the property’s current owner.
Once a new buyer is chosen, the city will then administer the $8.5 million it received in Restore NY grant funding to repurpose the site for the future buyers. With Micron opening in neighboring Onondaga County, the 151 Orchard Street location was chosen as one of four special projects to receive funding in the hopes of attracting a company in the semiconductor supply chain.
City Councilor Jimmy Giannettino, in a Facebook post, acknowledged the personal connection many in the city have to the property.
“For me, it’s personal; I guess it probably is for many Auburnians. My grandfather and his brothers worked at Alco. Those jobs gave them the opportunity to make a good living and provide for their families. I’m excited and hopeful that this generation of Auburnians will have that same opportunity.”
He also thanked Mayor Michael Quill who reached out to Alstom and began discussions on the site’s future.
“They took us on a tour of the facility, and at the conclusion of the tour I thanked them for taking the time to meet with us. The representative from Alstom responded, ‘Don’t thank me, thank Mayor Quill. He’s the one who contacted us and asked us to come here,” Giannettino continued.
Bombardier Transportation closed the Auburn facility in 2006.
