Oswego County TodayFulton's DRI Advisory Committee hears from owner of Case-Lee House project

FULTON – The City of Fulton’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) Advisory Committee met at City Hall on August 8 and heard a presentation from Kristen Collins, owner of the historic Case-Lee House at 181 South First Street.

The private DRI project adjacent to Pratt House received $140,000 from Empire State Development through the DRI. The original grant amount for 2021 was 20% of the total planned investment of $700,000.

The plan is to convert the historic, vacant building into an inn with a cafe and coffee lounge. Collins said the cafe will be called the King's Road Cafe and will be located on the first floor. The inn's name will be the Case-Lee Inn.

Plans for the first floor include restoration of a dining room/living room, construction of a cafe along with a commercial kitchen and an accessible guest suite. The plan calls for the cafe and lounge to be open to the public. The second floor would include up to 6 guest suites after full restoration. The third floor could be one large suite.

Collins said the project will be approached in phases: Phase 1 includes painting and repairing the entire exterior of the building by summer 2025, as well as work on the property such as landscaping; Phase 2 includes construction and renovation of the first-floor cafe by fall 2025; Phase 3 is designed to create additional guest suites on the second floor. A later phase may include development of the third floor.

The Case-Lee House is the first house built in the former village of Fulton and one of the oldest, if not the oldest, standing house in the town.

Collins said she has had a personal interest in the property for over 20 years and that it was the subject of her final project at university.

Although vandals have broken into the home and stolen pipes and other metal parts, and even demolished part of an exterior brick wall to get inside, the home's original character is still intact. This original character inspired Collins to take over the building in 2020 and do everything she can to preserve the history and craftsmanship of the historic property. This craftsmanship includes Italianate style architecture, old brickwork, ornate ceramic tiles, unique wood doors, stair railings, banisters, and many other fixtures in the home.

“It's not just its age that makes it worth preserving. It's the craftsmanship that makes it valuable and worth preserving. Someone who was there long before us put a lot of thought and care into constructing the building. It's irreplaceable,” Collins said. “This building ticks all the boxes.”

While the house is currently made of white-painted brick, Collins said it was originally brick with a historic green paint job and she plans to restore the original colors. The paint job will be among the first changes the public will see in 2025.

She is currently in the process of getting the house listed on the National Historic Registry, which is a lengthy process. She is working with state and federal agencies to obtain the listing. In addition to the house's architectural history, the Case Lee family was involved in the abolitionist movement and Frederick Douglas was documented visiting and staying at the property. With the historic listing, she can qualify for historic tax credits, which is critical to the project's success. Collins said it would be wise not to begin remodeling or restoring the property until the historic preservation tax credit is secured, otherwise developers risk losing the credits. Although she owns the property, she does not live in the house.

Collins noted that she wants to use photographs to recreate what has been lost over the years, so that ideally the historic preservation is consistent throughout the building. A major challenge, aside from the interior restoration once the exterior is tackled, is removing the lead paint that is found throughout the house.

The DRI Advisory Committee, comprised of local and regional stakeholders, was appointed by the City Council. The purpose of the committee is to keep the public informed and informed of developments in the DRI, as well as to gather information and advise the City Council on previously awarded DRI projects. A full list of DRI projects can be found at

A total of 16 projects were awarded – a combination of municipal, nonprofit and private projects with grants totaling $9.7 million. The city originally received the DRI in 2019 for its vision and project synergies, but each project is contracted separately with New York State. The Fulton DRI's strategic investment plan can be found here: ny.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/Fulton DRI_Strategic_Investment_Plan2021.pdf

Due to COVID, much of the DRI has been put on hold. Some projects have changed since the original award.

DRI Advisory Committee members include: Chair and resident Marie Mankiewicz, Vice Chair and resident Brittney Jerred, Secretary and resident Caroline Shue, Fulton City Schools Superintendent Brian Pulvino, Fire and Police Commissioner and resident David Miner, 5th Ward Councilwoman and resident Audrey Avery, County Representative and resident Frank Castiglia, resident John McGraw, 3rd Ward Councilwoman and resident Don Patrick, Building Inspector Matthew Smith, resident and Fulton City School District representative Sean Broderick, Oswego County Strategic Initiatives Director Dave Turner, resident Cathy Trowbridge, Mayor Jim Rice, City Clerk Jodi Corsoniti, Public Works Director and resident CJ Smith, Parks and Recreation Director and resident Chris Waldron, resident David Phares, Fulton Savings Bank Vice President Tina Stephens and Fourth Ward resident John Kenyon.

To view past meeting minutes, visit:

To provide feedback to the committee, please send an email to [email protected]. Questions, concerns and feedback will be brought to the committee for consideration or response. Committee members are encouraged to raise public concerns at future meetings. Meetings are open to the public.

The next meeting of the DRI Advisory Committee will be held on Thursday, September 19, at 5 p.m. in the Community Hall of City Hall, 141 S. 1st St., Fulton.

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