West New York’s latest affordable housing venture will not only provide housing for low-income families, but it will also help beautify the area and promote development in it. Mayor Albio Sires and County Executive Robert Janiszewski announced the town’s latest affordable housing project last week on the corner of Madison and 60th streets, the location for the project’s Madison Manor. “We want our residents to have the best living conditions possible,” said Sires, addressing the handful of residents that gathered around for the event. “This project will enable us to provide [residents] with appropriate housing, while creating new development by filling vacant or obsolete properties in parts of the town.” The $23 million, multi-site effort will provide housing for 117 low-income families in three different locations throughout the town. Parking will also be provided with each facility. “Mayor Sires was thinking big when this project was conceived,” said Janiszewski. “This is a grand slam for West New York and it all started on the desk of Mayor Sires.” The West New York Housing Authority and the Housing Authority of Hudson County are funding the project with the help of the federal HOME Investment Partnership Fund that contributed $1,480,000. “Hudson County has funded some 2,000 units of affordable housing,” said Janiszewski. “And this is one of our largest and most ambitious projects.” Developing the area West New York’s Housing Corporation chose the project’s three locations. This corporation, chaired by Sires, works on exploring areas in the town that need development. The corporation was able to find three sites strategically located near commercial property and public transportation. “There are million dollar homes on the waterfront,” said Sires. “And affordable housing on this side. This is a good combination.” The Madison Manor site, located on the corner of Madison and 60th streets, will replace a former catering business that was destroyed by a fire several years ago and the building next to it that used to be a nutrition center. The site will be a three-story building including 18 three-bedroom units with a parking lot across the street. Robert DiVincent, the executive director of the West New York Housing Corporation, announced that demolition of the Madison site would take place within the next month. The Dewey Manor, located on Dewey Street on the corner of 64th Street, is presently an abandoned garage and an empty lot. The site will contain 17 three-bedroom units and parking on the lower level. These three-bedroom apartments make this project stand out from other affordable housing projects. “This is very unique,” said Janiszewski. “Not just because it is the largest. These three-bedroom units show that even larger families can be served.” Fillmore Place, also on 60th Street, is the project’s largest site. This nearly vacant 45-unit Veteran’s Housing Complex will soon be the site of two identical five-story buildings with underground parking. (The few veterans who presently live there will be relocated.) The site will provide 108 one and two bedroom apartments, of which 85 will be used for affordable housing. DiVincent said that demolition of this site would take place after the site is completely vacated. The city is finding new homes for the veterans. The project’s completion is expected by 2002.
Housing grand slam; WNY announces its largest affordable housing project
