6/28/07 - CITY NEWS - South End housing project trumpeted

Mayor calls $8.2M in low-income housing boost to community morale

(As published by Cortland Standard, Evan Geibel Reporting)

A groundbreaking on the city’s south side this morning signaled the official start of the $8.2 million Cortland Crown Homes low-income housing rehabilitation project.

City and county officials, representatives of project developer Syracuse-based Housing Visions, and project financiers used golden shovels to fling ceremonial dirt off a small pile deposited in front of 164 south Main St. for the occasion.

Mayor Tom Gallagher described the project as a “much needed boost to the community’s morale,” and said that he hoped it would spur more investment in the neighborhood by residents and businesses.

“This program is critical to the city’s need to create affordable, quality housing,” Gallagher told the crowd of about 30 that had gathered in the muggy overcast outdoors.

As a result of the lead-based paint and asbestos mitigation that has been conducted on three buildings since the early spring, senior development manager Ben Lockwood said on Wednesday that an additional building is going to be torn down and rebuilt.

Now, five buildings are being demolished and three are being rebuilt, while another five are being rehabilitated, resulting in about 30 units that would be available to low-income tenants who fall below 60 percent of the state’s median income level.

In light of problems discovered during the asbestos and lead abatement, Lockwood said the apartment building at 1 Frederick Ave. is going to be demolished and rebuilt, and not simply rehabilitated.

“We had some environmental issues with it, and to fix the environmental issues, the cost to fix it versus building a new one was about even,” Lockwood said Wednesday, adding that lead and asbestos abatement has only begun at 162 and 164 Main St. and 1 Frederick Ave.

“The building will be better constructed. It’s not something we intended, but it is something that has to happen.”

Hey County officials - let the City handle South Main Street, and if you consider anything in the area, let the City officials know early, OK?