History
Constructed in 1972, Van Rensselaer Village is located in the City of Watervliet, NY, a working class community seven miles north of downtown Albany.  These apartments are in a solid residential neighborhood three blocks from the city’s main commercial district.  Conveniently located in an existing walkable neighborhood close to community services, retail facilities and public transit makes this project very marketable.  Revitalization of Van Rensselaer Village will improve surrounding property values.

Economy

• A building rehabilitation project is labor intensive with multiple levels of details to coordinate.
• This level of coordination will generate an estimated 80 full time construction jobs and an estimated 120 construction related jobs.
• Providing well paying construction jobs with Davis Bacon Wage Rates will aid in the much needed economic stimulus.
• After completion the project will sustain an estimated 30 local jobs which will generate an estimated $1.5 million in local wages and business income.

Redevelopment
Van Rensselaer Village existing site has 12 garden apartment buildings of wood frame construction, painted vertical siding and flat roofs.  The rehabilitation will reduce the rental unit total from 100 to 81 apartments.  Through selective demolition, the long building layout will be modified and divided into 17 smaller buildings, blending the buildings into the surrounding neighborhood.

Environment

• Van Rensselaer Village was a distressed publically financed affordable housing facility in need of immediate action to insure a self sustaining preservation.
• The preservation plan focuses on the redevelopment of an existing site with an aggressive energy conservation strategy to insure long term self sustaining affordability.
• Lowering the overall density will develop the expansion of green space throughout the site.
• Anticipated energy reduction at 30% below the current use after rehabilitation.

Overview
Van Rensselaer Village has been and will continue to be marketed to families living and working in the city of Watervliet and its surrounding areas.