Liberty Affordable Housing to redevelop Olbiston apartment building in Utica

UTICA, N.Y. — Liberty Affordable Housing Inc. of Rome has purchased and will redevelop the Olbiston apartment building at 1431 Genesee St. in Utica.

Earlier this year, the city posted and shut down the Olbiston due to “gross negligence” of the property owner, per a City of Utica news release. The city’s decision stemmed from the owner’s refusal to address “several” code violations, despite the fact the city said it granted “every opportunity to comply.” The building’s condition became “deplorable and uninhabitable” for the tenants who resided in the building.

Utica then partnered with Oneida County and over a dozen organizations to relocate Olbiston tenants.

Over the past several months, Utica officials worked with Liberty to figure out ways of potentially restoring the building. Liberty on Dec. 22 purchased the Olbiston and plans to invest about $55 million to redevelop the building. The project will reestablish 153 affordable housing units.

The City of Utica has allocated $3 million from the Utica Prosperity Initiative to support Liberty’s project. The $3 million comes from the Utica’s allotment of money from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA.

The office of Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri noted that the preservation and redevelopment of the Olbiston, along with increasing affordable housing in the City, is a “top administration priority.”

Immediate work to secure the roof will take in the near future. The project is scheduled to begin in the spring with construction expected to take 24 months.