NORWICH – Commerce Chenango is taking new measures to ensure the vacant storefront at 17-19 North Broad Street – the Salvation Army building – is put to good use in the heart of the city.

Recently, board members of the Development Chenango Corp. approved the application of a state grant to restore the run-down commercial space that was occupied by the Salvation Army for three decades but been vacant since the thrift store closed its doors in 2009. Development Chenango submitted an application to the Southern Tier Region Community Revitalization Fund in June in hopes of attaining low-cost financing to assist in the proposed redevelopment of the property. If awarded, funding would reduce the up-front contribution the DCC would make on a redevelopment project.

The goal, said the DCC, is to purchase the building, mitigate the asbestos, take on needed interior and exterior renovations and lease the property to a potential tenant (yet to be disclosed) before ultimately selling the property. The agency set a goal of fulfilling its plan within the next five years.

According to Commerce Chenango President Steve Craig, the DCC should know the outcome of its funding application by next month. Funding could be awarded as a state grant or a low-interest loan, but if DCC is awarded funding, expectations are that it would be in the form of the later, he said.

“The state wants to see things happen with these vacant properties and see downtown properties improve,” Craig explained. “We have identified a couple of uses for it. Development Chenango recognizes that it’s an important area downtown,” he added, noting a lack of interest private developers have had in the building. “The DCC exists basically to take on projects that don’t necessarily make sense to private developers but do have an overall economic benefit.”