Fulton Block Builders Approach Renovations Deadline, Celebrate Achievements in First Year

FULTON, NY – The Fulton Block Builders 2017 Block Challenge is seeing the final stages of home renovations being completed as the initiative’s deadline approaches at the end of October.

Participants in the Block Challenge from neighborhoods throughout the city have until October 31 to complete their exterior home renovations to receive a matching grant from Fulton Block Builders.

A $100,000 grant from the Shineman Foundation required FBB founder Linda Eagan to raise matching funds which she found to be almost an easy task as 32 area businesses and 18 personal donations totaled $54,000.

The grant allowed FBB to offer homeowners throughout the city of Fulton to participate in the 2017 Block Challenge by offering a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for exterior home improvements up to $1,000.

Bonus funds were applicable for houses on corner lots impacting two streets and homeowners who chose to repaint using a handcrafted historical color palette, as well as discounts available at sponsored hardware stores and garden centers.

Pre-applications flooded the FBB volunteer group with 209 homeowners initially applying. 171 homeowners from 25 blocks submitted final applications with a final decision of 22 blocks with 160 properties awarded Block Challenge grants.

Of those properties, nine belong to six landlords that own homes in the city, 95 have completed projects, 37 are still under way before the October 31 deadline and some properties had unforeseen circumstances preventing their completion.

In total, $70,000 in Block Builder checks have been written and $180,000 worth of improvements have been made city-wide.

“I am absolutely thrilled with the turnout in our first year. People have responded so remarkably,” said Eagan. “There is a great deal of love and pride in this city that may have been forgotten. We are bringing people together and recognizing it.”

Eagan, who works in Oswego, began noticing a more positive image in the city of Oswego and then noticed signs going up crediting the Oswego Renaissance Association.

After a presentation from Paul Stewart of the Oswego Renaissance Association, Eagan knew immediately this was her calling for the city of Fulton.

“Much like what I do in my everyday work as a social worker, this program was about finding the strengths and building on them. This is what I do, it had my name all over it,” Eagan said.

Both the Oswego Renaissance Association and the Fulton Block Builders are modeled off Healthy Neighbors Initiative which has produced similar groups all over the country.

To successfully run the program, 39 volunteers clocked countless hours helping participating homeowners.

Each of the 25 blocks in the first year had a designated block leader and each block is required to hold some sort of block party activity to bring together neighbors in celebration of their completed improvements.

Audrey Avery, block leader for Academy, South Fourth and Highland streets together with all participating homeowners recently organized a block party at a city park in their neighborhood, Voorhees Park.

“This is my hometown, I was born and raised here. Fulton is a wonderful community, we stick together. After seeing the success of the Oswego Renaissance Association, I agreed this was something we needed here to bring people together and be close with our neighbors,” she said.

Avery and the nine participating neighbors in her block joined together for live music from Dale Osborn, food, and good company to celebrate their accomplishments.

For Avery, that came in the form of a side deck replacement. For neighbors, it was new driveways, landscaping, painting, porch or stair repair, and several other improvements.

For Lorrie and Bob Glanz, they were able to start renovating their front porch.

“This initiative is fantastic. It gets neighbors together to spruce up their homes and neighborhoods. We are in pretty good shape around here, but this will help us keep it this way,” Lorrie Glanz said.

Glanz, who moved to Fulton in 1980, said their neighborhood park, Voorhees Park, used to host musical performances at a gazebo and regular public barbeques, but over time these events just died out.

Having such a rich history, including the story of the first ever curveball pitch thrown in baseball history by Arthur “Candy” Cummings in 1864 right at Voorhees Park, Avery emphasized the history of the park to encourage residents to preserve what they have.

Effectively, a group of neighbors was so encouraged, they took to the park on their own time to clean up the park.

“It reminds me of when I was a kid,” said participating neighbor, Jhoram Dilk. “You knew your neighbors then. I’ve lived here for eight years and I’ve met many of my neighbors but through Fulton Block Builders, I’ve met different neighbors, new people. It’s a great organization, just trying to preserve the historic nature of our homes and neighborhood.”

Dilk was able to make such improvements as a new blacktop, front shrubbery, paint exterior trim, and mulch.

“We were a pretty close neighborhood to begin with, so when I approached everyone they were very on board. We even had a neighbor, Spencer Luddington, agree to paint his home but did not take any money from the Block Builders. It’s encouraging people all over the city to keep the history and beauty alive, preserve what we have, and move forward,” Avery said.

After a successful first year, Fulton Block Builders intends to return for a second year pending grant approval.

“Through this I’ve learned the lots in Fulton are lovely. I’ve toured homes and properties with big yards and beautiful houses, it’s truly such a great city to buy and settle,” Eagan said. “The majority of residents that I talk to say there is a noticeable difference in the city. Even people that are not part of FBB are making improvements; people are friendlier.”

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