An empty parking lot is pictured at the Gowanda Correctional Facility following its official closure this week. All of the remaining inmates have been relocated to other facilities. OBSERVER Photo By Anthony Dolce

GOWANDA — As Wednesday came and went, so did the remaining inmates and staff at the Gowanda Correctional Facility.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year named the Gowanda facility as one of three statewide to close due to, among other reasons, a decline in the prison population. Over the course of the last few months, inmates and staff at the prison have been relocated to other sites in New York state.

“It’s really been all over the (Department of Corrections and Community Supervision) system,” said Gowanda Mayor David Smith. “Some went upstate, some went downstate. They’re dispersed all over.”

The Wende Correctional Facility in Alden has been the most popular place of transfer for both staff and inmates, who were all out of the Gowanda facility by Tuesday. Though the inmates and staff are gone, the lights have to remain on for the foreseeable future, which has been the largest point of contention from local officials.

“This is part of our complaint and why the Gowanda Area Redevelopment Corporation has filed so many FOIL requests,” Smith said. “It isn’t lights off.”

The Gowanda Correctional Facility is largely tied to the nearby facility in Collins, as Collins utilizes both the kitchen and infirmary located in the Gowanda facility, meaning that the building needs to remain open until those amenities can get switched over to Collins. On top of that, there is still work scheduled to be done on the building in Gowanda, even though it’s no longer in use for prisoners.

“The Gowanda Correctional Facility still has fixed costs that they’ve contracted out that have to be paid, like wastewater treatment,” Smith said. “They’ve also agreed to do capital improvements with awarded contracts that still have to be paid and done, meaning that they will likely have to do work on an empty building.”

Even though the final date of the facility has come and gone, the decision to close the Gowanda Correctional Facility in the first place is still drawing ire from local officials, including Smith, who calls into question how the decision saves the state money when so many of the facilities have to remain in use.

“It is the epitome of a poor, ill-timed decision,” Smith said. “It makes those of us who have studied the information skeptical of whether Gowanda was on the original list or if it became an easy target.”

“The governor was on TV saying there would be no loss of job,” Smith continued. “If you are not cutting people, are still paying fixed costs, and still keeping the lights and heat on in Gowanda until the infirmary and kitchen are transferred over, how are you saving money?”

While other local elected officials, and the Gowanda Area Redevelopment Corporation continue to wait on their questions to be answered, Smith previously expressed his sympathies to all those people impacted by the closure of the Gowanda Correctional Facility.

“We tried as hard as we could,” Smith said. “I deeply regret the results. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this decision.”