Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo visits Johnstown to tour the the Tryon Residential Center for Boys. The facility, which will be closing in January, is seen as a waste of state money as it still employs 30 people. Our Steve Ference joins us from Johnstown and has more on what Cuomo had to say about the facility.

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JOHNSTOWN, N.Y. -- Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo got a tour of the Tryon Residential Center which has been shrouded in controversy for years, sometimes for questions about their handling of juvenile inmates, but this for waste.

"With a $9 billion deficit, we're paying 30 staff people to babysit an empty building," said Cuomo, highlighting the absurdity of a law requiring a year's notice before a facility like this can be closed. The facility only 50 percent occupancy for years and now has no juveniles whatsoever since they've gone to other facilities.

"We need to close centers like this that we no longer need or are in use," said Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Gladys Carrion. "We must cut through bureaucratic red tape."

"if the law is hard and fast, then the law needs to be changed," said Cuomo.

In all, fixing the problem may take legislative work, it comes after upgrades to the facility a few years ago, costing taxpayers $2 million.

"For me, it is symbolic," said Cuomo. "This state needs radical reform."

This, as the commissioner tries to figure out what to do with the facilities here. They're either going to try to reuse them for some other purpose, or perhaps even sell the property.

"We're exploring other uses to make sure that we are cost-effective and that we're not unwisely spending very precious state dollars," said Carrion.

Either way, Tryon is slated to officially close in January when that full year waiting period is up, as the commissioner looks to transition to a more therapeutic approach for juvenile inmates from this system where around 80 percent of those locked up will be incarcerated later in life.

Cuomo said, "Are we achieving that goal in the most cost-effective means possible?"

We reached out to the union who represents the workers at Tryon, but we have not heard back from them.