EDITOR’S NOTE: The Bricks & Mortar Report will provide updates every other week on major construction projects in Chenango County.

Delaware Chenango Madison Otsego (DCMO) BOCES:

• Contractors broke ground May 11 for an addition and renovations to the Delaware Chenango Madison Otsego BOCES educational institution located on county Rte. 32 in the town of North Norwich. The building is expected to be ready for students in the fall of 2009. 

• The project includes state of the art science labs, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, conference rooms for group work, state-of-the-art technology and 108,000 square feet of additional space.

• The BOCES campus located in Sidney Center is also slated to be renovated and expanded. Ground breaking at the Harrold Campus is tentatively scheduled to begin the first week of June.

• The budget for both projects is $49 million.

Employment stats:

• The Chenango County Office of Employment and Training reported a 4.8 percent unemployment rate in April. The figure compares to 5.1 percent in April of 2006 and 5.8 percent last month.

• Chenango County is ranked 43rd in the state. The lowest, Putnam County, is at 2.8 percent. Hamilton County, ranked 62nd, is the highest at 7.3 percent.