Former Corning Inc. Headquarters Building, others sit empty. What's next for company?

The former Corning Inc. Headquarters building on Pulteney Street, known as the C Building, as well as the two adjacent A and B buildings currently sit unused.

Future plans for the vacant buildings are still being evaluated as Corning Inc. weighs its needs moving forward, according to the company.

“As part of Corning’s long-term estate strategy, employees in the Corning Valley are now primarily based in the Headquarters building and at the Sullivan Park campus,” said a Corning Inc. spokesperson. “The space consolidation enables better use of underutilized space and creates a more cohesive and interconnected working environment for employees regionally.”

Corning Inc. dealing with financial challenges

Jamie Johnson, executive director of the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency, said the IDA and other local and state leaders have been in discussions with Corning Inc. for several months about the company's space needs.

“They’ve gone through and completed internal assessments of the space that they have and what their needs are at this moment in time,” Johnson said. “It's not a surprise that they've been faced with some financial challenges with the most recent economic downturn, and they are responding accordingly to meet those challenges head-on.”

Johnson said Corning Inc. has been working on what the company's future facility needs look like in Steuben County.

“They have shifted their employment around to better maximize space and made some efficiencies internally with their employees,” Johnson said. “This is very similar to when the telecom mobile burst in the early 2000s.”

Corning Inc. has conducted multiple layoffs in 2024. In February, the company said it would eliminate 107 jobs, or about 20% of the workforce, at the Erwin Plant on Addison Road in Painted Post. That layoff came about a month after Corning Inc. slashed roughly 1,000 jobs in mid-January as part of a global workforce reduction due to revenue shortfalls at the company. Approximately 200 of those jobs were in the Greater Corning area.

During a fourth quarter earnings call in January, CEO Wendell Weeks said "sales are well below long-term trends," but "the actions we took to improve our profitability and cash flow generations through 2023 are evident in our financial performance.”

Johnson said Corning Inc. is looking to become more efficient and reduce costs in addressing its financial challenges.

“One of the ways to do that is to combine people and not keep so many buildings open,” Johnson said. “That is exactly what they're doing."

What is the future of the Northside Corning Inc. buildings?

Johnson said the IDA is confident Corning Inc. will rebound and return the empty buildings to operation in the future.

“It’s always concerning when you see buildings go idle,” Johnson acknowledged. “But we also know that Corning Inc. is doing this to meet their own needs and is holding on to these assets for future growth. Once they get through these economic challenges there will be future needs and they will be able to reutilize these properties.”

Johnson said Corning Inc. currently has other properties available, including the Sitel Building, in Erwin, and the Barron Steuben Building, on Corning's Market Street, but the large Pulteney Street site has been placed in reserve pending future demand.

“There is a lot of anxiety in the market,” Johnson said. “For us the good news is the Northside properties have not been placed on the market. Corning Inc. has put them into reserve in anticipation of future growth. We're going to work with them closely to try to support that growth in any way that we can.”

Johnson said conversations he has been part of with Corning Inc. also include Empire State Development.

“Everyone is aware of the challenges Corning Inc. is facing,” Johnson said. “There have been conversations with the highest level, both internally and in the state structure to support Corning Inc. as they work through these challenges.”

Johnson said economic development officials will remain engaged to ensure Corning Inc. continues to have a strong presence in the community.

According to the city assessor's office, the property at 100-134 E. Pulteney Street, covering 9.5 acres, includes several buildings collectively assessed for $43.8 million. The site is owned by Corning Property Management.

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C Building was upgraded in recent years

The C Building received a major overhaul within the last five years. Work completed on the C Building in recent years included a complete replacement of the Pulteney Street building's exterior using new technology, according to Corning Inc. That new technology included electrochromic glass, a “smart” glass that can change its tint based on conditions, saving on both lighting and climate control expenses.

Interior renovations to the nine-story office building included new walls, carpet, tile, ceilings, furniture and lighting, Corning officials said. It also included new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in keeping with modern practices and current energy, fire and building codes.

The Steuben County IDA in late 2018 approved a $2 million sales tax exemption for the project based on an estimated investment of $25 million and the retention of 200 jobs.

Corning Inc. officials have said they are not disclosing the cost of the renovations.

The building now known as C Building was constructed in 1955 as the headquarters of what was then known as Corning Glass Works.

This article originally appeared on The Leader: Former Corning Inc. Headquarters, other buildings empty. Here's why.