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The Plattsburgh whatchamacallit
By LOIS CLERMONT
News Editor
At some point, we’re going to have to figure out what to call the area that used to be Plattsburgh Air Force Base.
When the base closed in 1995, the Plattsburgh Intermunicipal Development Corp. was formed to redevelop the property. That later evolved into Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corp., known by just about everyone around here as PARC.
For years, Press-Republican stories referred to that section of land as “the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base.” Sometimes we still do.
Some agency, either PIDC or PARC, held a contest at one point to name the former base. The winning name was Plattsburgh International Tradeparc.
But the name never caught on, and even though you can still read it on a Northway exit sign, no one calls it that.
Some people think we should just go with PARC. But the city and town have divided up the land and redeveloped it, with a great deal of residential area as well as the industrial sites.
So isn’t the former base oval just another section of the City of Plattsburgh? Should we just call it U.S. Oval, Plattsburgh? And isn’t the flight line and business area of the base just another part of Town of Plattsburgh?
If we write about something in the city’s South End, people think of the area from the South Catherine Street Bridge to the edge of the base, not any of the base property.
It’s been 11 years now since the base closed. When is it no longer “the former base”? Will it forever be known as that. Or PARC?
I’d be interested to hear the opinion of readers.
Comments
That's pretty funny.
I always refer to "the Old Base" or "the New Base". Heh, heh, try telling that to a tourist.
Posted by: TourPro | March 2, 2007 12:34 PM
Hi Lois!
Yes, even now when I talk about Plattsburgh to my Reno friends, it's "the Base - Old Base; New Base".
Thanks to so many far sighted people, the "Base" is now a thriving infrastructure.
Say "Hi" to all my P-R friends!
Lynda
Posted by: Lynda (Bouyea) Bevins | March 4, 2007 3:42 PM
Guess it's time for another contest? Or online poll?
I have the same problem explaining things like that to my father. When you call something "the old base" it sounds like you're refering to the entire property - not just what locals know as the Oval and its immediate surroundings.
Posted by: Tim Dodd | March 5, 2007 8:07 AM
The winning name was Plattsburgh International Tradeparc. How about the PIT? (not to be confused with pit)
Posted by: Alex | March 17, 2007 7:42 PM
I feel that the main reason for the disconnect from the former base and the existing municipalities is the lack of incorporation. If you travel along Sharon Ave, Route 9, Route 22 there are still miles of fencing separating the town/city with the "base". There are also limited entrances keeping most of the "base" somewhat of a secluded neighborhood. These are negative things, but they do contribute to the seperation. I do see this eventually changing as development continues on both sides of the fence.
Posted by: Mark T. | April 10, 2007 1:59 AM
You have a good site
Posted by: xanaxanax | October 18, 2007 3:23 PM