Posted on Apr 13, 1999
Schenectady, N.Y. (April 13, 1999) – Union College unveiled today its comprehensive architectural plan for the Union-Schenectady (US) Initiative, and introduced organizations that have joined the effort to revitalize the neighborhood to the west of the campus.
“Rather than simply an architectural plan for what this neighborhood will look like in the future, the US Initiative is a statement about the importance of contributing to our communities,” Union College President Roger H. Hull said. “We are committing $10 million to this project that, when complete, will benefit all of us. Homeowners will regain a sense of pride in their reborn neighborhood; neighborhood children will have brighter futures; Union students, faculty and staff will enjoy first-class housing within walking distance from the campus; and Schenectady will have a vibrant neighborhood which we believe will spur the rebirth of downtown.”
Dagit Saylor Architects, a leading Pennsylvania-based firm that specializes in college/community revitalization projects, provided the design concept for Union's acquired properties and the surrounding streetscape that, according to the authors, “creates a cohesive living-learning community.” To date, the College has acquired 35 properties; up to 40 may be acquired pending negotiations with current owners.
Architectural plans call for extensive interior and exterior renovations and restoration of Union's acquired properties; development of a uniform and attractive streetscape along Seward Place; and expansion of parking in the area.
The architectural plan includes:
Restoration of the buildings' distinctive exterior architecture: Architectural elements of the facades – porches, columns, balustrades – will be preserved or restored largely to their original condition, and paint colors will reflect the historic (Late Victorian, early 20th century) character of the neighborhood. The College will make available its color schemes and architectural plans to interested neighborhood residents. The exterior structures, according to Dagit Saylor, “are largely intact and represent an irreplaceable piece of Schenectady's historic urban fabric.”
Interior building renovations for student, faculty and staff residences: Apartment-style housing for about 100 students on 13 properties along Seward Place will be completed by the fall. The remaining properties on Park Place and Huron Street will be rented to College staff and faculty at below-market rates. Architectural elements – mantels, stained glass windows, decorative stair moldings-will be preserved in the renovation process.
Elements of the streetscape design include:
development of a landscaped, pedestrian-friendly “gateway” from the campus into the initiative area;
installation of identifiers for major pedestrian crosswalks – signage, pavings – at Huron Street and South Avenue to control traffic flow along Seward Place;
repairs to the existing sidewalk and construction of a new sidewalk on the east side of Seward Place as a means to increase pedestrian activity on both sides of the street and transform the area into attractive frontage facing the Initiative area;
introduction of an “institutional standard” for lighting and street furniture – trash cans, signage, benches – to establish a distinctive character for the neighborhood;
establishment of a uniform, quality landscape treatment for trees, shrubs, hedges, and low-flowering perennials to unify the streetscape and improve perceptions of the neighborhood. According to the architects, “next to the rehabilitation of the houses, this strategy will have the greatest impact on the Initiative area,” adding that it “provides a visual link” with the aesthetic of Union's campus.
New partnerships and progress on US Initiative projects:
Scholarship Program: Union College and Schenectady County Community College have established an admissions agreement, which includes a tuition scholarship benefit, for eligible residents of the US Initiative area. The program, which builds on Union's commitment of $1 million a year in scholarship funds to children of qualified homeowners, will enable students to begin their studies tuition-free at SCCC following one of five approved degree programs. To be eligible to transfer to Union under the admissions partnership, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in an approved program, including Humanities and Social Sciences (A.A.), Mathematics and Science (A.S.), Science (A.S.), Teacher Education (A.S.), and Computer Science (A.S.).
To be eligible for the admission scholarship program, homeowners (and their children) must reside in the area for five years preceding access to the benefit, continue to reside there during the period of matriculation at the College(s), and maintain their property in accordance with the standards set by the to-be-established Union-Schenectady Neighborhood Association. This association, which will include a five-member review board from the community and Union College, will establish standards for continued enjoyment of the tuition benefit, such as exterior esthetics, trash handling, landscaping and other maintenance issues. A group of College staff and neighborhood residents are currently drafting by laws for the Association.
Attractive Mortgage programs: Trustco Bank has joined Union College in providing special mortgage programs for potential homebuyers in the US Initiative area. The Trustco program provides a 50 percent discount on bank fees on all residential mortgage applications, grants of five percent of the purchase price ($2,500 maximum) for properties purchased that involve transfer from landlord status to owner-occupied, and annual amounts of up to $100,000 in grants and fee discounts for five years (500,000 total) in support of the Initiative. Trustco will also donate a bank-owned property on Park Place for use by the College.
As part of the Initiative, Union has created a Community Mortgage Program, which includes no down payment, no closing costs, exterior façade improvement funds of up to $10,000 to be added to the mortgage amount and amortized over the life of the mortgage, payroll deduction, and a fixed interest rate two percent below local banks' no-points first mortgage rate. To date, three College employees have purchased homes in the US Initiative area; an additional 15 individuals have expressed interest.
College Park Community Center: To create a center for community-focused activity and for the needs of area children, the US Initiative includes the development of the College Park Community Center. An $8,250 grant from Campus Compact, an organization funding higher education community service initiatives, will enable Union, Van Corlear Elementary School and the GE Elfuns to develop a specialized mentoring program for Van Corlear students. Union is one of only 16 institutions in the country to receive funding under Campus Compact's “Generating New Models for Building Communities” initiative. In a space to be called the “Homework Center,” Union students and GE Eflfun volunteers will help children from Van Corlear School prepare for New York State standardized tests. Other local organizations joining Union to sponsor programs at the Center include St. Clare's Hospital, which will conduct health and wellness programs, and Girls Inc. of Schenectady, which will present education and recreation programs for girls. The proposed address for the College Park Community Center is 257 Park Place. The center is expected to be open by the fall, pending conclusion of negotiations with current owners.
Safety: The College will operate a satellite Safety and Security Office at 712 Huron Street (corner of Seward St. and Huron), pending final sale of the parcel. As part of the College's 25 member security function, an officer of the staff will be assigned to the US Initiative area on a daily basis; bike patrol officers will also perform regular patrols in the area.
While not a community policing entity, Union officers in the satellite office will work with neighbors and the Schenectady Police Department to establish a neighborhood watch program in the Initiative area. The office will be operational by the fall.
Upgrade of the Nott-Seward parking lot: In July, the College will pave and line the lot at the northwest corner of the campus. When complete, it will accommodate College staff and students living in renovated residences along Seward Place. The lot will hold about 200 cars.
Relocation of residents: The College has initiated a comprehensive relocation program for tenants residing in Union-acquired properties. As part of the program, Union meets with residents to identify housing needs, pays for the costs associated with the move, and provides two months rent. To date, 15 families have been moved at a cost of roughly $25,000.
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