Local developer to build cottages in Freeville

A local developer is in the process of bringing more housing to the village of Freeville.

Bruno Schickel, owner of Schickel Construction Co., is building12 rental cottages at 52 Main St. in the village. The development will also include a maintenance building.

Schickel, who plans to call the location Freeville Cottages, bought the property from the previous owner last winter. The property used to be the site of a single home, with “a lot of debris around it,” Schickel said.

“We took down the house and cleaned up the site,” Schickel said. “We took down a few trees, but not a lot.”

The area still has plenty of tall spruce pine trees. 

“I virtually left them all there,” Schickel said.

Schickel has developed and built what he calls “communities,” including Boiceville Cottages in Brooktondale and La Bourgade on Seneca in Burdett. Freeville Cottages will have the same concept of a gingerbread-house feel as Schickel’s other developments.

“People love living in [the cottages],” Schickel said. “It’s very hard to find a small house to rent. There’s a lot of apartments and stuff like that.”

Freeville Mayor Miles McCarty said that Schickel “went through a lot of effort” to clear the Main Street property.

“It’s such an improvement,” McCarty said.

Schickel said that four of the cottages will be about 700 square feet, four of them will be around 1,000 square feet, and four others about 1,200 square feet. The 1,000 square-foot and 1,200 square-foot cottages will include two bedrooms, and the 1,200 square-foot homes will also provide two bathrooms.

“There’s a huge need for housing,” Schickel said, noting that Boiceville is currently 100% occupied. “Most single-family homes that are built are really big and expensive. Nobody is building houses like this. The proof is in the fact that [the cottages] rent so well.”

The plan, Schickel said, is to build the cottages over the winter and spring seasons. The goal is to have the cottages ready for occupancy by summer 2024, he added.

“I’m going to build them all out and get them all done,” Schickel said.

Schickel noted that Freeville’s connection to railroads will be factored into the structure of the cottages.

“I thought it’d be a nice little homage to their history to design [the cottages] as little railroad stations,” Schickel said.

The roofs, Schickel said, will “come down and bend out,” with brackets holding up the overhangs.

Schickel anticipates that the monthly rent will range from $1,600 per month for the smaller cottages and $2,200 per month for the larger ones. He expects utilities to be efficient at about $100 per month.

Freeville Cottages adds value to the village, Schickel said. People living at the cottages, he added, will be within walking distance of the village post office, churches, Freeville Elementary School and more.

“It’s going to add more tax revenue,” McCarty added, noting that the development could reduce the tax burden in the village. “I’m encouraged to see how it’s going to turn out. I’m anxious to see the outcome. I suspect it’s going to turn out to be a good thing for the village.”

Schickel brings a “broad demographic” to the area, adding to a community that’s already in the village.

“It’s going to be smashingly beautiful. People are going to love it,” Schickel said.

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Dryden Middle School’s ‘Matilda, Jr.: The Musical’ is in November

Dryden Middle School’s show, “Matilda, Jr.: The Musical,” is set for November.

The show is scheduled for Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 4 at 2 p.m.

Tickets will be sold at the show. Individual tickets are $5 and family tickets are $20.

For information, contact Dryden Middle School at 607-844-8694.

Local meetings this month

The Dryden Town Board is scheduled to meet Oct. 12 and Oct. 19. Both meetings will begin at 6 p.m. People are invited to attend in person or virtually.

The Village of Dryden Board of Trustees will meet in person at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 on the second floor of the village hall at 16 South St.

Annual Dryden haunted house event this month

The Town of Dryden Recreation Department will hold its annual haunted house event this month.

The free-of-charge event is called “Asylum: Will You Survive?” It will be held on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 at the Dryden Fire Hall at 26 North St. in the village.

The evening scare show will take place on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 from 6 to 9 p.m. On Oct. 28, a kid-friendly, lights-on scare show is scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Candy and costumes are welcome at the event. Nonmonetary donations will be accepted for the Dryden Food Pantry or Toys for Tots.

For information, contact the town’s recreation department at 607-844-8888.