Holley Gardens rehabilitates vacant school into
affordable apartments and public meeting space
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas announced the start of construction on a $17 million rehabilitation of the historic former Holley High School in the Village of Holley. When complete, Holley Gardens will include 41 affordable homes for seniors and public meeting space and offices for use by the Village of Holley.
Visnauskas said, “This is a great example of how we are working to revitalize neighborhoods with targeted investments in underutilized buildings. With Holley Gardens, we are making the Village of Holley a more vibrant, enjoyable place to live and keeping the entire Finger Lakes moving forward.”
The state’s commitment to strengthening communities and growing the Finger Lakes economy is reflected in “Finger Lakes Forward,” a $500 million state investment through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative that builds on the more than $6.1 billion the state has injected in the region since 2012. The state’s investment in Holley Gardens complements Finger Lakes Forward by increasing access to high quality affordable housing in walkable downtown communities with access to retail, employment and transit.
The historic Holley High School, located at the intersection of Wright and Main Streets, is a three-story brick building originally constructed in 1931 in the Neo-Classical architectural style. The building served as the community’s high school into the mid-1970s but has been abandoned for many years. Due to its design, prominent location in the village’s historic district and its severely deteriorating condition, the building was named one of the Landmark Society of Western New York’s inaugural 2012 “Five to Revive” priorities.
The newly rehabilitated building will include 41 residential apartments for low- and moderate-income seniors 55 and up. Seven of the apartments will be available for households where at least one member is a person with a physical disability who will have access to supportive services through the Orleans County Office of Aging.
The existing auditorium will be renovated for commercial use by the Village of Holley, preserving the existing stage and seating to provide a staging area for board meetings and public forum and the area beneath the balcony will be fitted to house the administrative offices.
The developer is Home Leasing in partnership with Edgemere Development.New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s financing for Holley Gardens includes federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate a total of $6.8 million in equity for the project, a $1 million Rural and Urban Community Investment Fund award, and an additional $3.1 million in subsidy. Additional financing includes nearly $6.4 million in Federal and State Historic Tax Credits and a Restore NY grant from Empire State Development.
Senator Robert Ortt said, “Renovating historic buildings into new and functional facilities can inject new life into a community. By revitalizing what was once a deteriorating building, we are preserving a piece of Holley history while also ensuring the character of this local landmark is not forgotten.”
Assemblyman Stephen Hawley said, “I am excited to see the construction of Holley Gardens underway. Investment in and transformation of previously unused infrastructure proves that Western New York is on the rise and I look forward to continuing to work with officials to bring attention and resources to similar local projects with great potential.
“On behalf of the Village of Holley we are so thankful for all of the hard work, dedication, and cooperation that has gone into making this project a reality. For over three years the village has worked with Home Leasing and Edgemere Development as well as all levels of our government and a variety of funding agencies to bring this endeavor to this point. Most importantly, the adaptive re-use of this historic structure will preserve its rich history while providing affordable, accessible housing for seniors as well as an updated and handicap accessible office space and meeting room for the Village of Holley. Thank you to everyone for their support and efforts,” said Village of Holley Mayor Brian Sorochty.
Provided information
