Breaking ground in Syracuse, Governor Kathy Hochul has heralded the beginning of a $107 million refurbishment project targeting Almus Olver Towers. Not just a facelift for a 12-story building, this overhaul is part of the East Adams Neighborhood Transformation Plan, tying into larger ambitions that dovetail with the demolition of the Interstate 81 viaduct. Acknowledging the initiative, Hochul emphasized the strategy to stitch together neighborhoods historically cleaved apart by the highway. According to a release from the Governor's office, the project is set to enhance more than just infrastructure by furnishing affordable housing options.
Renovation promises to expand the current unit count from 184 to 191, boost the condition of communal spaces, and impart a series of much-needed upgrades on kitchens, bathrooms, and the building's exterior. Installing an outdoor pavilion, the future holds a new gathering place for residents, which appears set against the backdrop of energy efficiency. Despite the 27-block area revitalization plan, however, newly designed all-electric systems, in a nod to environmental conservation, have the potential to redefine the building's operational blueprint and set off a positive ripple across the energy grid.
The project finds its footing within Governor Hochul's $25 billion five-year Housing Plan. It continues a trend of growing affordable homes across New York, with over 3,000 in Onondaga County in the past half-decade. Focused on housing seniors and individuals with disabilities, the Almus Olver Towers will allocate apartments for households earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income. Detailed in the Governor's announcement, the collaborative effort involves multiple partners, including McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc., and the Syracuse Housing Authority.
Financially underpinned by Low Income Housing Tax Credits and substantial state subsidy, the project has also scooped over $3.2 million towards its clean energy initiatives. The integration of these funds earmarks the Almus Olver Towers to emerge as a prototypical example of environmentally conscious design that mitigates the carbon footprint of its community. Remarkably, they are part of a larger investment in the city's housing sector, as Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh praised the move, eyeing it as a pivotal development for both housing and quality of life enhancements. Walsh shared his satisfaction with the project's progress, which, while harnessing energy-efficient and sustainable features, won't displace occupants during the upgrades, according to the same press release.
Communities across the state are slated to benefit from Governor Hochul's Housing Agenda in the FY25 Enacted Budget, a plan filled with incentives and a $500 million capital fund to foster up to 15,000 new homes on state land. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh emphasizes that the renovation will not only create safe and accessible housing but will also ensure affordable housing for some of the city's most vulnerable residents, all without the need to relocate occupants from the building.
