The Greenburgh Housing Authority (GHA) has come up with a new plan to replace its low-income garden apartment complex on Maple Street after having presented its original plan to the Greenburgh Town Board about two years ago. The complex currently has 131 apartments and GHA had previously proposed tearing it down and building five elevator-equipped buildings of up to four stories in order to create 190 apartments at the site.
The Maple Street site is bordered by Interstate 287 on the south and Old Tarrytown Road on the north. The garden apartment complex was built about 63 years ago and had been described as dilapidated and in need of major repairs.
Attorney Janet Giris of the White Plains-based law firm DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr told a work session of the Town Board that the GHA is going to be proposing financing of the redevelopment project through New York State’s Division of Housing and Community Renewal (HCR).
“What is being proposed here is a redevelopment of the entire site,” Giris said. “The site is just under 8 acres, 7.9-acres. It currently is developed with 131 units of housing together with related parking and infrastructure in 11 buildings. One of those buildings is the administration building for the Housing Authority. What is being proposed is redevelopment with five four-story buildings to contain a total of 209 units together with related parking and infrastructure.”
Giris said that the new apartments would be priced as affordable workforce housing offered to people earning between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). She also said that some units would be “non-regulated” and offered to people earning up to 120% of AMI.
GHA Executive Director Raju Abraham said since first presenting the idea of redeveloping the Maple Street complex two years ago GHA has expanded the team of professionals working on the plan.
“Together these professionals have provided guidance on phasing and financing. We have also conducted two residents’ meetings to gather input on the design,” Abraham said. “The feedback has been very positive and residents have been very keen to learn more about the planned redevelopment.”
Abraham described the current complex as “functionally obsolete.”
“The campus infrastructure is faltering with outdated heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that utilizes a central boiler and underground piping,” Abraham said. “This poses not only inefficiency in energy consumption but also significant safety concerns including the suspected presence of asbestos in the piping. Also, the existing electrical system is inadequate for modern needs. We also must acknowledge that the sewer system is outdated and incapable of accommodating the current population’s demands.”
Abraham said that the critical need for affordable housing in Greenburgh makes it imperative for GHA to expand the number of units it has available.
“As we look to the future it is essential that we act decisively to provide our community with safe decent housing that meets modern standards,” Abraham said.
The demolition of existing buildings and construction of new buildings would be done in phases so that existing tenants can move directly from an older building into a new building. GHA is hoping that the tenants in no more than 15 current apartments would have to be relocated offsite during the redevelopment.
Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner threw his support behind the GHA’s concept, saying “I am excited about this proposal. The new buildings will be an attractive addition and will provide residents with a much-improved quality of life. There is a need for quality affordable housing in Greenburgh and Westchester. This serves a need.”
The Town Board asked GHA to propose a schedule to help in sequencing and timing of the steps that need to be taken in order to have the project approved as expeditiously as possible.
