National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 - Public Comment Notice

In compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is soliciting comments on a proposed undertaking in Massena, New York, from the public and other interested parties. This public notice provides an opportunity for members of the public to express their views on the undertaking's effects on historic properties.

Description of the proposed undertaking

ICE is proposing to execute a new lease and expand their facilities in Massena. Proposed site activities include grading the lot, expanding the existing building footprint, updating existing site utilities, and introducing replacement landscaping. The proposed addition will be consistent in size with the existing structures.

As part of the undertaking, existing asphalt surfaces may be slightly expanded to support additional ICE employee parking needs. The current fencing and parking on site will be rearranged to facilitate moving and expanding the current fence line. Proposed fencing will be roughly six to eight feet above ground level, with four-foot-deep footers. Trenching for the fence line will be roughly three feet wide. All staging will occur within the property boundaries.

Anticipated interior and exterior modifications to the structure include adding security cameras and systems and adding access control measures, which may necessitate slightly reconfiguring the interior layout. ICE has included representative examples of the proposed technologies in the document linked below.

Area of Potential Effects

ICE has determined that the Area of Potential Effects (APE) for this undertaking consists of the subject property and adjacent resources that may have visibility to the proposed undertaking.

Identification of Historic Properties

No prior archaeological survey has occurred within or adjacent to the subject property. The project area was heavily disturbed as part of construction of the two buildings and associated site amenities. Upon review of the project area, ICE has determined that the likelihood for encountering intact deposits is low, as the proposed ground disturbing activities will be consistent in method and depth of past disturbances. As such, ICE does not recommend any further archaeological assessment of the project area.

Above-ground resources within the APE consist of a mixture of previously recorded historic-age structures and new build resources. The subject properties, 280 Main Street and 4 Harrowgate Commons, were constructed c. 1997-2003 and c. 2003-2006, respectively. ICE has determined that the subject properties do not meet Criteria Consideration G and are Ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Adjacent non-historic resources within the APE - the St. Lawrence County DMV, Massena Dialysis Center, Public Health Building, Kinney Drugs, NBT Bank, and Walgreens, were all constructed in the 1990s and 2000s. The Public Health Building (USN 08941-00519) was previously determined to be Ineligible for the NRHP. ICE makes no change in eligibility recommendations for this structure and finds the remaining non-historic resources do not meet Criteria Consideration G and are Ineligible for the NRHP.

The remaining resources within the APE consist of previously recorded and unrecorded historic-age residences. ICE makes no change in determination for 276 Main Street (USN 08941.000011), a previously recorded ineligible residence. One previously recorded resource, the Boyce Residence (USN 08941.000046) is no longer extant. The three remaining resources consist of an Italianate residence at 281 Main Street, an early 20^th century vernacular residence at 283 Main Street, and a late 19^th century Victorian vernacular residence at 285 Main Street. These resources appear to be part of a larger group of late 19^th/early 20^th century residential resources along Main and Bowers Streets.

Assessment of Effect

While it is beyond the scope of this undertaking to evaluate a larger potential district outside the APE, ICE notes that the proposed undertaking would be outside of any potential district boundaries. Though the resources will have visibility of portions of the undertaking, regardless of the eligibility of these resources, the proposed undertaking will not affect integrity of design, workmanship, materials, location, setting, association, or feeling, nor impact the resources ability to be included on the NRHP. As such, pursuant to 36 CFR 800.5(b), ICE has determined that the undertaking will result in a finding of No Historic Properties Affected.

Comment Period

Written correspondence on this undertaking must be submitted to [email protected] by May 3, 2026.