A celebratory toss of soil, applause, and smiles all around. Construction officially began on Tuesday, August 25th for Phase 1 of Parkway Gardens, the $33.2 million, 71-unit affordable public housing development serving the people of Utica, New York. The development will replace older structures with new, modern units that provide more space and mobility, while enhancing the surrounding neighborhood.
The ceremony began by honoring three residents—Mrs. Anna Morbidini, 94, People First’s longest-standing resident of more than 50 years; cousins Mikhail Polkhovskiy and Alex Lyubezhanin, former childhood residents whom produced a film and song focused on growing up at Adrean Terrace—each of whom were present and participated in the groundbreaking.
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli shared “The history of this location makes it truly special, and hearing from the residents here—it’s a reminder that we’re acknowledging more than buildings, but the community. And seeing the great collaboration by People First and Vecino to bring us to this point, I commend them and all the teams—this will be transformational.”
Parkways Gardens is developed by Vecino and People First, formerly the Utica Municipal Housing Authority. Phase 1 will include the demolition of three buildings containing 28 units within the Housing Authority’s N.D. Peters complex, which was built in the 1960s. In their place, a single four-story building will be constructed. All tenants of the older buildings were relocated to other Housing Authority developments and will be able to return to the new building.
Darren Scott, Director of Development for New York State Homes and Community Renewal (NYSHCR) said “Affordable housing should never mean settling for less. It should mean high -quality homes in communities where people have opportunity. Parkway Gardens reflects the success of Governor Hochul’s housing agenda, so I want to thank People First, Vecino, all of our partners and the local community, and look forward to coming back to welcome residents into their new homes.”
The development will be affordable to households earning from 30% up to 80% of the Area Median Income. There will be eight units to accommodate individuals with mobility disabilities and three units to accommodate residents with sensory disabilities. The all-electric building will feature Energy Star appliances. Parkway Gardens provides a mix of one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units and is near schools and public transportation to downtown Utica, Proctor Park, Starch Factory Creek and its trail system.
The entire development meets 2020 Enterprise Green-Plus standards, designed as energy-efficient, all-electric to help achieve NY State’s goal of 85% carbon neutrality by 2050. Units will have low-flow plumbing fixtures, Energy Star-rated windows/appliances, high-efficency HVAC systems as well as Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) that temper incoming outside air to improve the fresh air within each unit. New pedestrian paths will connect grounds with the surround neighborhood and park system.
“We understand how important these homes have been to Uticans for decades, and together with People First, we’ll make sure they continue to provide homes for generations to come,” said Rob Holzman, Vecino Vice President of Planning & Acquisitions.
Robert Calli, Executive Director of People First shared the importance and significance of the groundbreaking. “N.D. Peters has proudly served this community for over 60 years. It’s Utica’s version of Ellis Island. From our point of view, this is sacred land. To everybody who’s played a role in this humanitarian endeavor—please look in the mirror, smile and be proud of what you do in our community.”
The team delivering Parkway Gardens Ph 1 is People First (Developer), Vecino (Developer), BW Architecture + Engineering (Architecture/MEP), STAND (Structural Eng.), Barton & Loguidice (Landscaping), and Vecino Construction (GC). People First (UMHA) will maintain long term ownership.
The $33.2 million development is made possible through a mix of public and private sources, including $1.75 million Federal LIHTC, $459,762 State LIHTC, $5.7 million Public Housing Preservation Program and $3.5 million in NYS HOME funds, all funded by NYSHCR. Additional funding includes CITI permanent and construction loans, $1 million HOME funds from the City of Utica, $2 million AHP funding from FHLBNY, $800,000 investment from People First and Tax Credit Syndication by Huntington Bank.
Calli also revealed a request from Mrs. Morbidini when she initially heard there would be new construction.
“Mrs. Morbidini grabbed my arm, looked me in the eye and said ‘It better be nice.’”
“I assure you, Mrs. Morbidini, it will be.”
