Construction Starts
On 60 Housing Units
ONEONTA – Construction is about to start on $15.9 million Oneonta Heights, which includes 40 senior-citizen housing units and 20 for working families, developer Housing Visions of Syracuse announced a few minutes ago.
The project will support a neighborhood transformation plan developed by Housing Visions in partnership with the City of Oneonta and Opportunities for Otsego, which will create 60-affordable housing units for families and seniors.
When completed, the project will consist of seven buildings — six new construction and one strategically located rehab. The buildings will be in three “clusters” throughout the target neighborhood.
The first cluster includes the rehab, a long vacant property that has become an eyesore the city has wanted addressed for years. The city foreclosed on the property last year and is looking forward to its upcoming transformation.
The second cluster will be at the intersection of Columbia and West streets, where four derelict buildings (including a bank foreclosure and two owned by an absentee landlord) will be demolished and replaced by two 4-unit buildings and one 2-unit building. Columbia Street zoning classifications were revised to allow and encourage development and future investment on this block.
The third cluster is a 5+ acre undeveloped site along Silver Creek and will feature a 40-unit new construction senior building addressing a critical need for quality senior housing in this college town. This building for seniors will be equipped with a community gathering area, computer lab, kitchen, laundry facilities and on-site property management office. In addition to the 40-unit senior building, two 4-unit buildings will be built on the site. All properties will be built to the highest green building standards to reduce the overall impact on the built environment and increase the health and comfort level of residents.
Construction will take up to 18 months, with an estimated project opening in August 2017.
Housing Visions Construction Co. (HVCC), an affiliate construction management company to Housing Visions Unlimited, Inc., will be the general contractor. HVCC plans to hire local laborers and carpenters and has made a concerted effort to purchase materials from local suppliers and contract with local contractors.
Once the project is completed, Housing Visions will hire two full-time positions to help manage and maintain the properties.
“We are very excited to see the start of our newest housing development,” says Kenyon Craig, president and CEO of Housing Visions. “Oneonta Heights will create new affordable rental housing for seniors and low-income families in an area where demand is high. Not only will this project help meet the affordable housing needs of the community, it also will create economic opportunities and construction jobs within the Oneonta community.”
About Housing Visions
The mission of Housing Visions is to be the catalyst for sustainable positive change in neighborhoods through real estate development and community collaboration. The organization was borne out of a community-based effort in 1990 to rehabilitate and stabilize a declining neighborhood on the east side of Syracuse, NY. Since then, the nonprofit development, construction, and property management company has expanded its scope of work to include 14 cities and nearly 1,400 units of affordable housing across Upstate New York and Pennsylvania with a total community investment of more than $300 million. It serves a diverse group of residents, including families, special populations and seniors. For more information, visit