Work begins at site of future Mental Health offices

CAIRO―Site clearing is underway in Cairo for what will be the future Greene County Community Services Building.

Work began Monday at the 16.85-acre vacant lot between Main Street and Route 84 that was purchased by Greene County back in 2024.

The capital project, for which county lawmakers have allocated $23 million, will get the Mental Health Department out of the old County Farm next to Angelo Canna Town Park. Built in 1883, it was never designed to accommodate modern office space and has become inefficient and costly to maintain, county officials have said.

Jorrey Excavating, Inc. of Middletown was awarded the $107,000 contract for clearing the new site earlier this month after coming in the lowest of eight bidders.

“That will be underway as fast as we can because we have bat season we have to get through. We have to drop all of the trees before that mating season gets into full swing,” explained August Freemann of Freeman Project Management Services of Cairo who is overseeing the Community Services Building project.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has tree cutting restrictions that allow for removal of trees only between November 1 and March 31 when bats are typically in hibernation.

County lawmakers also went out to bid this month for general construction, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work. Bids are scheduled to be opened on Thursday, April 2.

The development project includes an approximately 20,000-square-foot office building, 1,200-square-foot maintenance garage, 113-spot asphalt parking area with access to County Route 84, and concrete sidewalks. Of the total property area, 5.5 acres are expected to be disturbed.

Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden has emphasized that the project will require no bonding and will not raise property taxes as monies have already been reserved.

The property was once known as the Cairo Fairgrounds that hosted the Greene County Fair from 1870 to 1936. In the 1960s, it was a horse racing track and in 1974 underwent a complete but short-lived transformation into a speedway for stock car racing. It remained vacant and privately owned for the last 50 years.