A ribbon-cutting on Sept. 14 has marked the formal opening of an affordable housing complex in Greenburgh.
A former WestHELP homeless shelter just off Knollwood Road at an entrance to the Westchester Community College campus has been transformed into the modern Mayfair Apartments for seniors ages 62 and older.
The redeveloped site contains 74 housing units consisting of 60 one-bedroom, eight two-bedroom, and six studio apartments for residents with low and moderate incomes.
The 6-acre site features nine buildings. Six of the residential buildings have been connected with community rooms and equipped with elevators to make the second floor more accessible for residents. The administration building will be the last building on the site to be rehabilitated.
Included in the $17 million in state financing for the development was $11.3 million in subsidy funding from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Support services for residents are to be funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and administered by the state Office of Mental Health.
Developer Mark Soja of the Marathon Development Group said, “Mayfair Apartments will provide low- and moderate-income senior citizens with a modern affordable community they are proud to call home.”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who led the ribbon-cutting ceremony, emphasized that the project represents another effort to help senior citizens to remain in the county.
“We know that our residents are not fleeing Westchester and we want to see them living happily and comfortably in the place they have always called home,” Latimer said.
“After years of discussions between the county, the developers, the town of Greenburgh, the Valhalla School District and the Board of Legislators, we can finally see this long-awaited project come to fruition.”
The development was designed with a number of “green” features, including:
- Energy Star Certification under Low-Rise New Construction Program;
- Solar panels;
- Rigid insulation for the exterior walls and foundation, and additional insulation in the attics which brings the total insulation level to approximately R-49;
- LED lighting throughout the complex;
- High-efficiency heating and cooling units for each apartment;
- Water-conserving fixtures; and
- Native and noninvasive landscaping.
Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner pointed out, “The lucky seniors who live here will be able to take advantage of Greenburgh programs and services and be within walking distance to the Westchester Community College where they can take courses and participate in inter-generational learning.”
Legislator MaryJane Shimsky said, “In a county where homes are so expensive and in such short supply, allowing that site to go fallow in 2011 was one of the more shameful county actions of the decade. I am very happy, and frankly relieved, that this location is now ready to house our residents again.”
