Court Street Apartments project in Binghamton celebrates groundbreaking

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Officials broke ground June 11 on a project in Binghamton to transform a vacant warehouse and office building into 111 affordable apartments, with more than half reserved for homeless veterans and other vulnerable populations in need of supportive services to live independently, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced. The Court Street Apartments project will include 80 rehabilitated apartments as part of the adaptive reuse of the former Sheltered Workshop for the Disabled building, which provided job training and medical care to local residents with physical and mental disabilities from 1947-2011. There will also be 31 newly constructed apartments as an addition to the building. All units will be reserved for households earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income. “Court Street Apartments will ensure that more than 100 families and veterans can afford to stay in Binghamton while also repurposing vacant spaces that support the city’s continued revitalization efforts,” Hochul said in a statement. “This project illustrates how Binghamton, one of the first Pro-Housing Communities in New York, is continuing to support affordable housing. Together, we can create innovative developments that boost the supply of new homes, support vulnerable populations, and bring sustainable, energy-efficient buildings to our downtowns.” The all-electric project meets the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) sustainability guidelines for new construction projects. Energy-efficient measures include a central energy recovery ventilation system for heating and cooling, electric heat pumps, and added insulation to improve air quality and reduce exposure to pollutants. According to a press release from Rochester–based contractor Christa Construction, amenities will include a community room, exterior recreation space, and a fitness center. Inside, lounges, laundry rooms, and trash rooms will be located on each floor. Helio Health owns the building and Passero Associates, which has several offices in New York, served as the project architect, according to the project fact sheet on the Christa Construction website. The project has an estimated cost of $24.5 million and an anticipated completion date in the third quarter of 2025. In all, 60 apartments will be set aside for homeless veterans and those who suffer from substance-use disorders or mental illness as part of the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative with on-site supportive services such as case management, assistance in stabilizing medical or substance-use disorder challenges, developing goals for employment or education, and becoming more independent. Financial support for the project includes HCR’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, which will generate equity of about $14.9 million, along with $14.8 million from HCR’s Supportive Housing Opportunity Program, $6 million from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, $1.2 million from the Clean Energy Initiative, and $700,000 permanent tax-exempt bonds. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation facilitated the use of federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits estimated to provide nearly $6.4 million in equity. Over the past five years, HCR has created or preserved more than 3,400 affordable homes in the Southern Tier. Its Pro-Housing Communities program recognizes municipalities for their commitment to housing growth, and certification as a Pro-Housing Community is a requirement for municipalities to receive up to $650 million in state discretionary funding.