New York Construction Report staff writer
Construction has started on East Adams Phase I, a $102 million affordable and mixed-income housing development that will add 132 modern, energy-efficient homes to Syracuse and launch the first stage of a major neighborhood reinvestment effort.
The project replaces the former McKinney Manor public housing complex, which faced more than $17 million in deferred maintenance. Demolition and site work are underway to make room for six new residential buildings, including two mid-rise apartment buildings and four townhome buildings. McCormack Baron Salazar, the master developer for the larger East Adams Neighborhood Transformation Plan, is leading construction in partnership with the Syracuse Housing Authority and the City of Syracuse.
When finished, the development will include 117 apartments affordable to households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income. Sixty-three units will be supported by Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers, and all residents who were temporarily relocated during construction will have a guaranteed right to return.
East Adams Phase I is designed as an all-electric, high-performance community powered by a ground-source geothermal system and equipped with energy-efficient appliances, high-performance windows and modern building envelopes intended to reduce energy use and operating costs. Outdoor seating, landscaped open spaces, playgrounds, private terraces and pedestrian connections will be incorporated throughout the site. Indoor amenities will include a community room, lounge, fitness center, bike storage, business incubator space and on-site management offices. Several homes will be fully accessible for people with mobility, hearing or visual impairments.
The project is the first step in the Syracuse Housing Authority’s 11-phase East Adams Neighborhood Transformation Plan, which spans 118 acres across 27 blocks and is expected to build or preserve about 1,500 homes. The redevelopment coincides with the state’s work to remove the Interstate 81 viaduct and reconnect the East Adams neighborhood with downtown Syracuse.
Financing for the first phase includes state and federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $42 million in equity, along with $45 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Empire State Development is providing an $8 million loan. The Syracuse Housing Authority and the city have allocated $2.1 million from their HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant and an additional $500,000 in city bond funds. Onondaga County contributed $400,000 in predevelopment funding for public infrastructure design.
