Action clears way for planning board to consider L’pool School of Cinema at Zogg Building
By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
More than two dozen citizens turned out for the May 15 meeting of the Liverpool Village Board of Trustees at the Village Hall on Sycamore Street, and many arrived early.
The early-birds munched on pizza provided by Hollywood director Jeremy Garelick, who hopes to turn the former Liverpool High School, also known as the Zogg building at 800 Fourth St., into the Liverpool School of Cinema.
The director of “The Wedding Ringer,” the 2015 comedy starring Kevin Hart and Josh Gad, Garelick met with neighbors from Fourth and Hickory streets and other village residents who generally support the proposed transformation of the 89-year-old brick building.
The property, which includes a baseball diamond, a running track and tennis courts, was sold in August 2014 by Liverpool Community Church to Pramote Nakornthab, of Ithaca, for $1.1 million. In December 2014, Nakornthab sold the building to Kriangkai Suriyawanakul for $1, as recorded by Onondaga County Real Property Tax Services.
Last year, the 6.9-acre’s selling price was $1,295,000.
Garelick has submitted a purchase offer, but the sale is contingent on village approval for the project. If he gets the green light and buys the 97,287-square-foot building, Garelick, his staff and students could begin making movies here in March 2018.
Syracuse attorney Robert Germain said that the director’s purchase offer is contingent upon the village changing its zoning code to allow the building to be used as a “trade school.”
The project cleared that hurdle May 15, when the trustees unanimously approved a code change that would allow a trade school to be developed on the property. They changed the Village Code’s definition of “school” to include “trade school.”
The approval came after a 45-minute public hearing during which more than a half-dozen speakers uniformly expressed support.
“We’re all for it,” said Hickory Street resident Patricia Smith. “And we’re very excited about it.”
Mayor Gary White agreed. “Personally, I think it’s a great idea,” he said.
Trustee Dennis Hebert thinks LSC is a good fit for the classic 1929 high-school building. “I’d like to see it used for something like this,” Hebert said. “It should be good for the village and for local businesses too.”
Once established, the LSC would be expected to pay taxes on the property, according to Garelick’s lawyer. Germain said it’s very difficult to apply for and receive any kind of tax exemption.
“We haven’t come that far yet,” the attorney said.
Garelick’s breakout comedy, “The Wedding Ringer,” earned $79.8 million against a budget of $23 million. No wonder Variety magazine named the 41-year-old Rockland County native one of the top 10 directors to watch in 2015.
LPD stats for April
At the trustees’ May 15 meeting, Liverpool Police Chief Donald Morris reported his department’s activity during the month of April.
Last month LPD officers made 474 traffic stops and issued 334 citations for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws, made six arrests for driving while intoxicated and investigated eight accidents.
Officers also wrote three parking tickets and made 129 residential property checks while responding a total of 813 incidents and calls for service.
The department made 40 arrests last month on a total of 57 criminal charges.
