Colonial II Apartments at 310 Cottage Street in Rome, New York, will soon be one of the most sustainable public housing buildings in the state. A renovation project led by Beacon Communities, current owners of the 99-unit property, includes a host of high-tech sustainability upgrades that will drastically reduce building carbon emissions and achieve net-zero energy use.
Valued at $40.8 million, specific retrofits include the electrification of all existing building systems, the installation of high-efficiency geothermal heat pumps and a new solar field, and full replacement of the façade with an efficient panel system that will reduce the transfer of heat in and out of the building. Together, these improvements will reduce the energy needed to sustain an optimal internal temperature, especially during the hottest and coldest months of the year.
Before construction broke ground, the project was awarded $1.3 million through NYSERDA’s Buildings of Excellence Competition, which recognizes exemplary design, construction, and operation of carbon-neutral-ready multifamily buildings.
“This is the first public housing renovation that will be carbon neutral in the state of New York and that’s a really exciting thing to be able to say,” said Dara Kovel, chief executive officer at Beacon Communities. “We hope that this will be a blueprint for other housing authorities and affordable housing redevelopments across the state of New York.”
Ground breaking ceremony Colonial II – Beacon Communities
The renovations will also create larger, more livable apartments. To accomplish this, Beacon Communities will reduce the unit count from 99 to 74 homes. When complete, all Colonial II apartments will be designated for individuals and households at or below 50 percent area median income (AMI).
Phase one of renovations at Colonial I, a sister property, was completed by the same developer in 2019. Total project costs were estimated at $22 million dollars and included similar improvements and energy-efficient retrofits.
In addition to Beacon Communities, the project team includes the Rome Housing Authority, RIDA Architecture, Staengl Engineering, Active Solar Development, and New Ecology Inc., a Boston-based company that helps manage green ratings and certification processes.
“Preserving neighborhoods and growing neighborhoods is essential to the wellbeing of any community,” said state senator Joseph A. Griffo, a former mayor of Rome. “We are going to be able to serve a segment of our population, seniors, and those with disabilities, and provide them with modern, energy-efficient housing.”
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