Rochester-based Home Leasing and Schenectady non-profit Better Community Neighborhoods Inc. (BCNI) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony September 21 to celebrate the completion of Renaissance Square in Schenectady, NY. The project converted the historic St. Mary’s School into 25 apartments and constructed an additional building with 30 apartments, creating affordable housing in Schenectady and aiding in the city’s revitalization.
Built in 1892, the long vacant and blighted St. Mary’s School at 104 Irving St. closed in 1979 and had fallen into disrepair. The adaptive-reuse of the historic building into 25 apartments has successfully preserved the original architectural elements, including the arched windows and brickwork.
The demolition of three vacant commercial buildings on Eastern Avenue have been replaced with a new two-story building consisting of 30-units. Together, Renaissance Square includes six studio apartments, 44 one-bedroom apartments, and five two-bedroom apartments. All 55 apartments are affordable to households earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income.
“Hardworking New Yorkers need a place where they can live affordably in a safe and attractive neighborhood, with access to the community services they can rely on to thrive,” Governor Hochul said. “Through an adaptive reuse of this historic structure, Renaissance Square Apartments is breathing new life into this long-dormant swath of Schenectady’s Eastern Avenue neighborhood, bringing with it the affordable homes that will help further the remarkable transformation this city has undergone in recent years.”
The project received funding through New York State Homes and Community Renewal, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the Capital Region Land Bank.
3tarchitects, an SWBR Company, provided architectural design services for the project.
See the Governor’s announcement here:
Governor Hochul Announces Opening of $20 Million Affordable and Supportive Housing Development in Schenectady (ny.gov)
See the News Channel 10 feature here:
$20M affordable housing development opens in Schenectady (news10.com)