RAISING UP COMMUNITY

By Katie Ellis

JUST WHAT does it take to revitalize a community that has fallen on hard times?

Ask anyone on Main Street in Johnson City, N.Y., and you’ll learn that it takes commitment, hard work, like-minded partners, time — and the influx of more people.

In Johnson City, Binghamton University’s Health Sciences Campus, which includes the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is part of an ongoing transformation that is bringing life back to Main Street.

The vision for the Health Sciences Campus arose from President Harvey Stenger’s Road Map to Premier strategic planning initiative in 2013, which proposed establishment of a new college or school in the life sciences. That proposal became the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences — which moved into its brand-new building in Johnson City in 2018. As the campus continues to grow, with Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences now located there, and the new pharmacy R&D building and the Ford Family Wellness Center for Seniors both nearing completion, the

School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences students

Heeral Naik and Corey Graziade, both in their first year of the PharmD program, enjoy a cup of coffee at Sole City Coffee in downtown Johnson City.

time is ripe for a resurgence and groundwork has already been laid.

Stenger has continued to build relationships and make connections between the Health Sciences Campus and Johnson City, and has introduced Kanneboyina Nagaraju, dean of the pharmacy school, to a number of merchants on Main Street.

Nagaraju says he has seen an upswing in Main Street traffic, which he considers a key to the success of the Health Sciences Campus. “The inte gration of the school into the community needs to happen at multiple levels and it’s a symbiotic relationship,” he says. “I’ve been working with some of the merchants to build relationships between our school and downtown Johnson City.

“I want to see the students walking to Main Street and I love the proximity of Main Street businesses,” Nagaraju adds. “You don’t have to drive, and people actually say ‘Hey, Raju! How are you today?’”

But Nagaraju’s not the only one who sees community building as vital for everyone.

“We’re working to increase foot traffic from the Health Sciences Campus to Main Street,” Stenger says. “That’s the outcome we want to have, with students and others walking to Main Street in between classes and at lunchtime to get a sandwich or a coffee.”

But, Stenger says, it will take three things to be successful:

• a well-lit, safe walk

• interesting things to see while walking

• entrepreneurs and business owners willing to take a chance on locating on Main Street

Reviving The Economy

There are already positive signs according to Martin Meaney, Johnson City mayor and lifelong village resident.

Admittedly a little apprehensive when the

Meaney has walked the downtown with Stenger, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar and others. “It’s got to be visual, and we identified places that really need help and we all shared our vision,” he says. “With everyone working together — and we all have the same goal — I want to see Johnson City move forward and look nicer. It’s a common goal and it’s going to happen.”

The University has been a strong partner for the village as the Health Sciences Campus continues to grow, Meaney says. “The R&D building at the School of Pharmacy might spur a pharmaceutical company to come here. The potential is there,” he says.

But in addition to having a common goal, funding is vital. There’s hope for $10 million from the village’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) proposal that was submitted in late September, Meaney says. Winners were not yet announced as of mid-January. If selected, the funds would be used for a myriad of projects.

“I think we’re ready to put on the full-court press and the DRI could push us to the finish line,” he says.

One part of that full-court press is working with building owners to see storefronts built and introducing people to possible business and dining opportunities, Meaney adds. “Once they start filling in, it will be a domino effect and a collaborative effort.”

Building Community

Others who believe in Johnson City are also putting in the work.

Rita Moelder owns The Grapevine Café at 220 Main St., which she opened about six years ago. Her Johnson City roots run deep — her mother has owned Health Beat Natural Foods a couple of doors down for years.

“I always planned on opening something like this, and then this building came up for sale after I learned that the pharmacy school was opening,” Moelder says. “That’s mostly why I chose to open up in Johnson City rather than in Binghamton where they have so many restaurants. It was a good opportunity.”

The restaurant offers a diverse, ever-changing, healthy menu, including plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free foods; an assortment of teas; a bar; and live music on the weekends.

“I love to cook and this gives me an opportunity to make what I want,” Moelder adds. “I can get as creative as I like.”

With a good customer base to start, she’s seen more students coming in lately, she says. “We do tend to get more faculty, but we have free Wi-Fi and students come in here to do work and have coffee and lunch.”

Just down the street from The Grapevine Café, Sole City Coffee at 250 Main St. attracts patrons from the Health Sciences Campus, but also from off the highway and the greater Binghamton region, though owners Tom and Kathryn Sheredy say most of their customers are long-time Johnson City residents.

Once a cigar store among its other incarnations, Sole City was brought back to life by the Sheredys, who completely renovated the building, including removing and rebuilding the entire storefront.

They’ve paid homage to Johnson City’s roots throughout the shop, highlighting Endicott Johnson Shoes and its local history in the décor as well as the name.

And, after a great deal of research, they found a source for their house blend, someone who also roasts their beans for them.

“I don’t know how many coffees we went through before we settled on what we thought was our perfect blend,” says Kathryn Sheredy. “A lot was based on our palate.”

According to customers, they settled on a winner. “We’re pleasantly overwhelmed,” says Tom Sheredy. “Everything came together and we’ve had so much support. Members of the community come in every day and say ‘Thank you so much.’”

Looking Ahead

Both Moelder and the Sheredys hope to establish a stronger flow of Health Sciences Campus customers. In support of that goal, Nagaraju spearheaded an initiative to offer savings vouchers to students to entice them to patronize The Grapevine Café and Sole City Coffee.

Binghamton University and its Health Sciences Campus are an extension of the community, says Kathryn Sheredy. “People are thankful they are here and we care about the students. If it wasn’t for Binghamton University and United Health Services, downtown Johnson City would be a ghost town.

“Once we started rebuilding Main Street and have people walking outside and seeing the parking spots filled, it has created energy,” she says. “We’re filling the empty spaces, putting the lights on and it’s no longer stagnant.”

For the merchants on Main Street, the mayor, residents and the Health Sciences Campus, rebuilding downtown Johnson City is a labor of love that is beginning to pay off.

PRECEPTOR