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The Greater Ogdensburg Chamber of Commerce will not relocate its office closer to downtown.
But the Chamber, which currently operates out of a rented 1,054-square-foot office suite in the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority building at Bridge Plaza, still fancies the possibility of relocating to the city-owned Dobisky Center, 100 Riverside Ave.
City Manager John M. Pinkerton recently suggested the relocation to Chamber Executive Director Sandra M. Porter. His pitch was that the Dobisky
Center, with its Greenbelt location and St. Lawrence River frontage, was a natural attraction for out-of-town travelers and tourists and is a focal point from which to explore the citys business district, downtown and waterfront.
It turned out, however, that the city would need time-consuming state legislative approval to allow the Chamber in the building since its construction was financed by a state grant.
Meanwhile, the Chamber has renewed its lease with the OBPA for another year effective Jan. 1. Still, the chamber isnt ruling out the possibility of eventually relocating to the Dobisky Center.
Its not dead in the water, said Lori A. Smithers, the Chambers president. We want to promote the city.
The terms of the renewed lease with OBPA are unchanged from the current $9,441.72 contract that will expire Dec. 31. The Chambers actual annual rent is $842. The OBPA contributes a $5,000 stipend and another occupant of the office, Knudsen Systems Inc., Perth, Ontario, pays $3,600 a year.
The Chamber holds its bi-monthly board meetings at the Dobisky building.