Phase one complete
Ribbon-cutting ceremony for completion of project at Martin Luther King Apartments
TROY, N.Y. » Officials with the Troy Housing Authority along with city officials came together Wednesday to celebrate the official completion of phase one of the $13 million substantial rehabilitation of the Martin Luther King Apartments.
Phase one of the project included updating 46 units of the 102 units on the site, located at 1 Eddy’s Lane.
“We are so excited about this moment in time,” said Susan Steele, chairperson of the board of commissioners of the Troy Housing Authority. “Anything worth wild takes time and effort and we are so grateful to be at this moment in time and to have you all share this with us.”
Duncan Barrett, president of Beacon Communities Development LLC, gave a brief overview of the project and also spoke about the importance of this project during a ribbon- cutting ceremony Wednesday.
Barrett said the rehabilitation of the completed units gives residents modern, energy- efficient and affordable homes.
Barrett said officials broke ground on the site about 15 months ago and that the tenants were back in their homes by the end of this past summer. Barrett
noted that the tenants who were displaced from their units during the rehabilitation were sent to other units around the development or to other units within other Troy Housing Authority complexes.
“People cried when they got to move back into their new homes,” said Barrett after the ribbon-cutting event. “This property had
been built in 1972 and while it had been maintained, everything was antiquated and some things didn’t work well and now they really have a modern, very highly energy- efficient apartment that they can be proud of and we’re proud of them.”
Barrett said they felt it was important for the tenants to have a nice and safe home to come home
to every day.
“It’s very hard for moderate-income families to find good quality housing and there is a real need for that in Troy,” said Barrett.
Barrett said the second phase of the rehabilitation project is expected to start by the end of November and he believes that the construction for the next phase will also take 15 months.