The Partial Observer by Ellen Tillapaugh
Village Receives $1 Million Grant In Support of Housing Project
On May 22, the Village of Cooperstown was notified that our application for Restore New York funding was successful, and we will receive $1 million toward our goal of creating apartment-style housing at 217 Main Street.
In previous articles, I referenced the village’s Comprehensive Plan, created with a great deal of community input, which stressed the need for more housing within our village, particularly apartment-style housing. That housing goal was noted in our 2022 NY Forward application, the initial year New York State offered the $4.5 million award for communities of our size. In 2023, Cooperstown received the NY Forward award and, in a seven-month process, the 14-person Local Planning Committee assembled a Priority List of Projects which could be transformative within our downtown NY Forward boundary.
That Priority List included several housing projects, and ultimately New York State selected one of those projects, The Grove (Willow Brook), to receive $1.3 million toward an approximately $5 million project to create 13 new residential units in a mix of apartment and townhomes on the corner of Glen Avenue and Grove Street in the Railroad District of our village. The Grove was proposed by an LLC which previously constructed Chestnut Crossing at 10 Chestnut Street. Chestnut Crossing features 13 net zero energy apartments and, at its completion in January 2023, was the first apartment building constructed in Cooperstown in more than 50 years.
Within the NY Forward process, no project was proposed for 217 Main Street, the former Where It All Began Bat Company. The village has long been interested in that site’s potential for housing.
However—because of the NY Forward process—a developer of housing became aware of the 217 Main property. Vecino Group (https://www.vecinogroup.com) is a national company dedicated to the development of affordable and supportive housing. They signed an agreement to purchase the property and, in January 2024, partnered with Springbrook (https://springbrookny.org) on an application to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities—Integrated Supportive Housing for eight dedicated, one-bedroom units in the potential 50 unit (35 one-bedroom and 15 two-bedroom), three-story building. Springbrook would provide on-site support services for individuals in those eight units. That grant application was successful and Springbrook was awarded $1.78 million from OPWDD.
Representatives from Vecino presented at the village’s April and May 2024 Historic Preservation Review Board meetings, for approval to demolish the existing structure at 217 Main. Following a Public Hearing, approval for the building’s demolition was received at HPARB’s May 14, 2024 meeting.
When Round 9 of Restore NY grants opened last year, I asked the Village Board for approval to submit a Letter of Intent, and we were subsequently encouraged to apply for funding. Only municipalities are eligible for this funding stream and the maximum amount a village of our size could apply for was $1 million. A Public Hearing on the grant was held at our November 2024 Board of Trustees meeting, after which the Village Board unanimously approved a resolution in support of the project and the grant application was then submitted prior to the December 20th deadline.
Our application received extra “points” because, earlier in November, the Village of Cooperstown completed an extensive application process and was certified as a Pro-Housing Community. That certification opens up discretionary funding programs with up to $650 million in funding available.
For the 217 Main property, under village zoning law, the use of this 1.17-acre lot for multi-family housing is permitted. The building can be 42 feet, or three-stories, tall without a variance. The estimated project cost is $24 million. The new building will include a community space (with kitchen), fitness center, onsite property management, onsite maintenance, an onsite Springbrook Support Agency office for the I/DD population, free building-wide Wi-Fi and accessible amenities within walking distance.
Vecino Group currently has 23 supportive communities in nine states, with six of those communities in upstate New York. Of those six supportive communities, Mosaic Village Cohoes and Asteri Utica received OPWDD Integrated Supportive Housing funding.
In December 2022, Vecino Group received a New York State Preservation Award for its redevelopment of Old Snell Hall in Potsdam. Now known as The Quarry, the renovated building provides 59 affordable apartments for people living at or below 70 percent of the area’s median income.
As currently designed, the Vecino development at 217 Main Street will provide affordable housing at rents set at 30 percent of the Otsego County median income for five units ($18,480.00 single; $21,120.00 couple), 50 percent of the Otsego County median income for 11 units ($30,800.00 single; $35,200.00 couple), 60 percent of the Otsego County median income for 16 units ($36,840.00 single; $42,060.00 couple), 80 percent of the Otsego County median income for 10 units ($49,120.00 single; $56,000.00 couple) plus the eight units held for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities to have services provided by Springbrook. This will set rents at a range of $433.00-$1,090.00 for a one-bedroom and $511.00 to $1,300.00 for a two-bedroom, varying by median income level.
Vecino Group will be submitting an application to Home & Community Renewal for 9 percent tax credits. That program will open in the late summer. In support of their application, the village has provided numerous documents, including a letter written by Village Trustees Richard Sternberg and George Fasanelli, who visited three Vecino developments located in Troy, Saratoga Springs, and Cohoes. Their findings confirmed the responsible stewardship of Vecino Group and how well this housing project will fit in our community.
If the financing and HCR credits are successful, Vecino will be presenting building plans at village zoning meetings. All the meetings are public as well as live streamed and recorded on the village’s YouTube channel. Meetings can be watched live by clicking on the VOC Live button on the village website—www.cooperstownny.org/. VOC Live also links to the YouTube channel, where all meeting recordings are located.
Ellen Tillapaugh is the mayor of the Village of Cooperstown.