Schenectady, NY (Sept. 1, 1999) – Union College's broad-based neighborhood revitalization project, the Union Schenectady Initiative, is “on track” according to Union President Roger Hull. On Sunday, starting at noon, about 100 College juniors and seniors will be moving into their new, apartment-style flats just to the west of campus on Seward Place and Huron Street in the City of Schenectady.
“We made a commitment to our students and to the residents of the City of Schenectady that this project will be completed on time and on budget,” Hull said. “I'm pleased to report that phase one is on schedule. We welcome the return of our students to the College, and just as importantly to this revitalized part of the Initiative area.”
The US Initiative, announced last October, is a $10 million program designed to address the College's need for increased student housing as well as to revitalize the College Park neighborhood to the west of the Union campus. The Initiative includes a number of incentives for both homeowners and Union College employees to purchase homes in the area.
Incentives include the College's commitment of up to $1 million annually in tuition scholarships for children of eligible homeowners, special mortgage programs by Union and Trustco Bank, the renovation of a building in the area to serve as the College Park Community Outreach Center, and the establishment of the College Park Neighborhood Association.
Capital District Physicians Health Plan has joined the effort and contributed $15,000 towards the renovation and upgrade of South Avenue Park, a recreation area in the neighborhood. In addition, the College is renovating a residence on Seward Place to serve as a satellite office of the Union Campus Safety operation. In all, Union has acquired 40 homes in the neighborhood, which will be used for student housing and rental units for College faculty and staff.
The Union Schenectady Initiative Project Status to Date:
Phase One: (October '98 – September '99
The College is wrapping up work on renovating 13 houses: 11 houses on Seward Place and Huron Street will be used for student housing; one on 246, 248-250 Park Place, a nine-unit apartment complex for graduate students, and the Montessori School on Park, which opened this week to full enrollment. By the start of Union's classes on September 6 (end of phase one), 100 students will be living in the College Park neighborhood, on Seward and Huron. (See phase two for total students to live in neighborhood).
The College has hired five general contractors – Plank Construction, Bast-Hatfield, Matzen, Carpenter-Rosland and Duquid & Sons — to complete the Initiative, which, to date, has a total project cost of $5 million: $3 million in buildings that have been acquired and renovated, and $2 million in acquisitions that have yet to be renovated. On average, each G.C. has hired seven subcontractors. In all, well over 100 craftsmen are working double time to get the job done.
Phase Two: (September '99 – January 2000)
Work will continue in September through January on renovating 13 additional homes on Seward and Huron for use as student housing. In all, there will be 17 houses on Seward and 8 on Huron as student residences, and 14 on Park for other College uses, including faculty/staff rentals. There will be a total of 161 total students on Seward and Huron.
The College Park Community Outreach Center, 257 Park Place (formerly the Alps Grill), will be completed in phase two at a cost of approximately $400,000. The Center will sponsor health and wellness workshops by area organizations – St. Clare's and Ellis Hospitals, Girls Inc. — as well as a special homework center, which will feature Union student mentors to help children in the local elementary schools.
The satellite office for Union's Campus Safety operation will be open 24-hours, and will serve as a station for officers and bike patrols. The College will add, this fall, a third bike-patrol officer to the very successful bike patrol initiative initiated last year.
Design work is underway for the rehabilitation of South Avenue Park. Capital District Physicians Health Plan has contributed $15,000 to the project. The Parks Department of the City of Schenectady will also contribute labor to the effort.
Housing: Less than a dozen student athletes have moved into the neighborhood to date, (athletes return to campus early for practice, the remaining students, non-athletes, will move in on Sunday, Sept. 5.) Among the houses on Seward Place and Huron Street, will be four “theme houses,” which are student residences developed around a specific field of interest.
Opening this fall are: Symposium House, where students and faculty will meet for intellectual discussions, films, etc.; a Spanish House; a German House; and Seneca House, for students interested in women's issues and the women's studies program at Union.
Union's first residence for graduate students at 246, 248-250 Park Place will be completed by the weekend. The nine-unit complex will have six two-bedroom apartments and three one-bedroom apartments. The cost to Union is about $300,000. Rents will range from about $350 per month-one bedroom; $400 per month-two beds. This is the first time the College has been able to offer housing for graduate students.
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Seward Streetscape: The City is developing the design and will fund the Seward Place streetscape project. Infrastructure work will begin this fall – storm sewers, water lines, etc. Spring/summer 2000 completion expected with dual sidewalks, historic lighting, crosswalks, etc.
College relocation program: Union has spent about $30,000 to move 26 households from acquired properties. As part of the relocation program, Union assumed all costs for each tenant move and provided two month's rent for the new address.
Union Mortgage Program: Six, soon to be seven, employees of the College have purchased homes in the area, taking advantage of Union's Community Mortgage program. The program offers employees of the College no down payment, no closing costs and a fixed interest rate two percent below local bank rates.