300 Block Project Moving Along

By Ian MacFarland

The 300 Block development project, one of three major commercial/residential ventures underway along the city’s Main Street corridor, should have all 40 apartments and nine storefronts ready for occupancy by the end of the summer.

That was the projection of developer Jon Behrends of Precision Contractor earlier this week, as workers poured concrete foundations along the northwest corner of the site.

Behrends also took the opportunity to showcase some of the project’s “green” building techniques, employing methods and materials that are more sensitive to environmental impacts and the renewability of resources. He said a growing sense of environmental responsibility has led him to make the project greener as it has progressed, pushing back the timetable somewhat.

“We weren’t this green in the beginning,” he said Monday. “We’re trying to set a standard with this.”

Workers Monday were pouring concrete into insulating concrete forms (ICF), a frame of Styrofoam and plastic that remain on the concrete as insulation and sheeting. The advantages of ICF, Behrends said, are many: increased durability, less waste in the construction process, and better insulation, leading to lower heating and cooling costs for tenants. “Builders are really starting to fall in love with this stuff,” he said.

The completed building will feature a number of more sustainable energy systems, Behrends added. These include a geothermal climate control system, in which a series of deep wells use the consistent temperature of the earth’s crust to heat and cool the building, a pair of photovoltaic generators—solar cells—purchased with a grant from NYSERDA (NY State Energy Research and Development Authority), and a rainwater collection and irrigation system for a second-floor courtyard.

Behrends said that the completed project, which links nine rehabilitated buildings between Main, Hamilton, and Cannon Streets, will contain 40 apartments. Four will be work/live lofts, and another four will be income-controlled due to funding received through the federal HOME Investment Partnerships program. Three will be rated affordable for moderate incomes, Behrends said, while one will be rated affordable for low incomes.

The 300 Block project is one of three projects that could bring more than 200 new residents to Main Street by next year. Duvernay & Brooks and Pennrose Properties’ 400 Block project, also nearing completion, includes 54 apartments and seven storefronts, while the Luckey Platt building, projected to open by the end of summer, 2006, could include more than 130 market-rate apartments and two storefronts.