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By Paul Post
Running counter to statewide trends, Saratoga County is one of New York’s fastest growing counties, thanks largely to the Capital Region’s vibrant technology industry led by GlobalFoundries’ huge semiconductor plant in Malta.
The U.S. Census Bureau says New York’s population declined by more than 400,000 the past two years, with many people driven away by high taxes and harsh winters.
In contrast, Saratoga County’s population rose 10 of 11 years from 2010 to 2021 including a 2.6 percent increase from 2019 to 2020 alone, as more and more newcomers are attracted to attractive employment opportunities and the area’s year-round cultural and recreational offerings.
“The Capital Region is a unique and special place,” said Jonathan Gertman, the Cleveland-based NRP Group’s senior vice president of development.
But business can’t succeed without an adequate workforce, which depends on providing a place for such people to live. NRP Group is helping meet this demand with construction of a $75 million, 202-unit affordable housing apartment complex called Tait Lane Reserve, off Route 9N on the west side of Saratoga Springs.
In January, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced funding through bonds and subsidies to create or preserve more than 1,600 affordable, sustainable, and supportive homes across the state. When coupled with additional private funding and resources, the ten projects receiving funding are expected to create more than $600 million in overall investment that will assist local economic development efforts and advance New York’s commitment to expanding the supply of safe, secure, and healthy housing opportunities for individuals and families across the state.
Among the awards was $61.6 million for Tait Lane Reserve. State officials said the project is a combination of townhome and three-story walk-up buildings. There will be 10 apartments reserved for individuals experiencing homelessness funded through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The development is the result of a rezoning to allow for more residential buildings in this high-opportunity area.
It took NRP Group six years to secure the financing and approvals needed for work on Tait Lane Reserve to begin. Gertman said final approvals were expected at a town Planning Board meeting on February 7. This complex will have 72 units in nine two-story buildings. A dozen units will be reserved for homeless or disabled veterans.
The nearly 14-acre parcel is on the south side of Route 9N, between Tait Lane and Allen Drive, just past the railroad overpass when heading west out of Saratoga Springs. The site is directly across Route 9N from Sunnyside Gardens nursery center.
“We’re almost 20 percent complete,” Gertman said. “Two buildings are already framed up. It’s really moving along nicely, we’re really pleased. We hope to open the first building in December” of 2023, with people moving in around Jan. 1, 2024.
The completed project will have 12 three-story buildings. Plans call for 78 one-bedroom, 78 two-bedroom and 46 three-bedroom apartments in addition to amenities such as a fitness center, clubhouse, community room, garden, playground and on-site laundry.
Gertman said NRP Group will start marketing the facility this summer.
“We want to make sure local residents know how to apply and what the process is, all the steps needed to live there,” he said.
Interested parties can obtain more information at the state Homes and Community Renewal website at hcr.ny.gov/find-affordable-housing.
The webpage allows viewers to hone in a local community, with a list of all homes with open applications that are available, not just NRP Group’s.
NRP Group, which builds affordable housing across the U.S., obtained a $54.6 million loan from the state Housing Finance Agency for the project. HFA is a public benefit corporation that finances low- and moderate-income rental housing.
Rental fees, ranging from about $900 to $1,500 per month, will vary depending on the renter’s income, size of household and unit size.
In 2022, the Capital Region’s median income for a family of four was $106,000. As an affordable housing development, apartments at Tait Lane Reserve will be for parties that make between 30 percent and 60 percent of the median income.
In addition to providing much needed workforce housing, NRP Group’s project is boosting the local economy with roughly 140 workers on site during the peak construction period.
“We’re a national construction management company, but subcontract all the work on a competitive basis, so many existing local companies will be involved,” Gertman said.
NRP Group has been active in New York state for about a dozen years.