MAYOR GERALD D. JENNINGS CUTS RIBBON AT REHABILITATED PROPERTIES IN ARBOR HILL
City Uses $4 Million Neighborhood Stabilization Program to Fund Rehab
Ten Broeck Ribbon Cutting Program
Ten Broeck Ribbon Cutting Poster YNN Article
Albany, NY (January 24) –Mayor Jennings, the Albany Housing Authority, the City of Albany Department of Development and Planning, and New York State Homes and Community Renewal officially cut the ribbon today at eight newly renovated apartment buildings in Albany’s historic Arbor Hill neighborhood.
The $4.5 million dollar project, which received over $4 million in federal funding through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), consists of 23 new residential units and one commercial space. The commercial space is occupied by Operation S.N.U.G., an anti-violence advocacy and counseling program operated by Trinity Alliance. The project also received funding from lead abatement grants and CDBG-R funds through the Albany Community Development Agency.
Working with the ACDA, Albany Housing Authority (AHA), and New York State Homes and Community Renewal, among others, the City demonstrated its ongoing success leveraging federal stimulus funds to make improvements in the community.
Due to the deteriorated condition of the dwellings the vast majority of the units were abandoned and uninhabitable prior to the purchase of them by the ACDA on behalf of the City. The properties were transferred to the Albany Housing Authority which oversaw the rehabilitation and will continue to own and operate them.
“This is exactly the type of project that NSP funding is designed for,” said Mayor Jennings. “It provided us with an opportunity to take derelict buildings and turn them into safe, high quality housing, as well as a home for much needed community services.”
The City of Albany was among the first cities in the state to have a project approved using NSP funds. The program was established through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered through the State of New York, which provided grants for the purpose of stabilizing communities that have suffered from the effects of foreclosures and abandonment. Through the purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed and abandoned properties, the City was able to bring these buildings back into use and at the same time provide safe, affordable housing for low income residents and veterans.
“By completing projects such as this it shows the continuous effort we are making to rehabilitate and redevelop blighted properties here in the City of Albany- an initiative we will continue to take until vibrancy is brought back to all neighborhoods.” Michael Yevoli, Commissioner, City of Albany Development and Planning, “The completion of this project also adds to the nearly $80 million in investment made since the completion of the Arbor Hill Plan.”
Sanders Architects served as the project architects and Norstar Development USA was contracted to perform the construction work. AHA, Sanders Architects and Norstar have extensive experience with infill and rehabilitation projects in Arbor Hill, having completed another 74 residential units and 7 commercial spaces in the area already.
“The success of these initiatives stems from the creation of the Arbor Hill Neighborhood Plan and the continued support of Mayor Jennings and his staff in helping us to identify the resources and the expertise to get the job done,” said Steven Longo, Executive Director of the Albany Housing Authority.
Darryl C. Towns, Commissioner/CEO of New York State Homes and Community Renewal said, “Congratulations to the City of Albany and the Albany Housing Authority on the completion of the Arbor Hill Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The Arbor Hill Neighborhood Stabilization Program, with the renovation of eight formerly foreclosed and blighted buildings in a historic neighborhood, is a symbol of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s commitment to expanding housing options and revitalizing communities. By creating safe, high quality housing in a community most severely affected by issues of foreclosure and abandonment, the Arbor Hill Neighborhood Stabilization Program will transform the neighborhood.”
