Spring is traditionally a time of renewal and the community at the Pines is experiencing its own rebirth in interesting ways this month.
The property began welcoming new residents into the 19 newly constructed apartments that were built to replace those destroyed by fire in January 2022. All the units – 10 one-bedroom, four two-bedroom, two three-bedroom and three studio apartments – are on track to be occupied or leased by the end of March.
Fifteen of the households moving into the apartments come from the Pines’ unit transfer wait lists. Seven households with mobility, hearing and visual impairments are now in brand new ADA/HVI equipped units. The community waitlist for new residents currently stands at more than 200 households..
The exteriors of the newly built units were carefully designed by The Architectural Team, with help from our historic consultant, The Public Archaeology Laboratory, to closely replicate the originals in every way possible.
Since the Pines is listed on the National Historic Register and benefits from Historic Tax Credits, the rebuilding effort had to honor the original construction as much as possible. Both the New York State Office of Historic Preservation and the National Park Service reviewed and approved the plans. (You can learn more about the property’s historic design legacy at this link.)
It was not an easy task to make sure the new buildings fit within the 50-year-old footprint of the originals so that they aligned with the existing adjacent apartments, but, as you can see from this picture, the rebuilt apartments on the left mirror the property's original units on the right.
Another key challenge required working to incorporate a modern energy-efficient design that qualifies for certification under the federal Zero Energy Ready Home Program, which means the new units are so energy efficient that a renewable energy system could offset most or all of their annual energy use.
Also, this month, electricity was intentionally shut off for 8 hours within a segment of the community to reconnect the Community and Leasing Buildings to an upgraded power infrastructure for the property.
The process went smoothly. Residents were forewarned of the March 5 shut-off and we appreciate the patience they demonstrated during the temporary inconvenience. No further power outages are planned for now, but brief shutdowns may be needed in the future as renovations progress.
More importantly, the electricity switchover signaled the homestretch of efforts to renovate the Community and Leasing Buildings to accommodate improved space and better amenities for residents.
Work on the renovated Leasing Office is expected to be completed by the end of March, while the new Community Building is on track to be finished by mid-April. You can see the progress of work in this photo.
As always, you can find the latest update on the construction effort, along with information about activities in the community, in its monthly newsletter, which are available on the web site at this link.