GOUVERNEUER
– The completion of Cambray Terrace in Gouverneur will bring 71 brand new
low-income housing units to a community, which according to its mayor, very
much needed them.
“It’s
very much needed. There’s no question about that,” Mayor Ronald McDougal, who
also serves as president on the Cambray Housing Corporation Board of Directors,
said. “Looking at other communities around us, it was obvious we needed public
housing upgrades.”
While
the Cambray Housing Corporation isn’t the sole owner of Cambray Terrace, they
are together with Beacon Communities Development and several other entities
partners in the $13.954 million project.
Each of
the one-bedroom apartments will be made available to low-income individuals 55
and older, or people with disabilities regardless of their age, with priority
given to current residents of Cambray Courts or those temporarily displaced by
the construction project.
“Anyone
who was a resident at Cambray Courts was given the opportunity to move into the
new building,” said United Helpers Housing Assistant Carol Basford. According
to Ms. Basford, roughly 45 of Cambray Court’s 63 current and temporarily
displaced residents elected to accept a new apartment, leaving several
vacancies in the new complex.
Anyone
interested in applying for a spot at Cambray Terrace can apply in person at
Cambray Courts or online at www.unitedhelpers.org.
Beacon
Communities Development Director Paul Kruger said the project was funded
through the sale of low-income housing tax credits provided by New York State
Homes & Community Renewal, as well as soft loans from the New York State
Housing Trust Fund Corporation and the Development Authority of the North
Country.
Up
next, he said is renovations at Cambray Courts, which remains opened with 28
units. “We’re (Beacon Communities Development) going to help the Cambray
Housing Corporation with an application to secure funding for renovations to
the remaining units,” he said.
Assuming
work at the site is completed on schedule, Ms. Basford said tenants are slated
to begin moving into their new apartments on Jan. 16.
Mr.
Kruger said those apartments range in size from 620 to 630 square feet, making
them slightly larger than the apartments at Cambray Courts.
Robert
“Bob” Porter, of Bette & Cring, a Watertown-based construction firm, is
serving as project manager. He said he’s proud of the work his firm has done on
the project.
“They
will go quick once people see them,” he said.
Mr.
Porter also noted each of the apartments will be Energy Star Certified. “The
building is pretty much air tight,” he said.
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Mr.
McDougal said the completion of the project will be the culmination of many
years of work. “This is something the board has worked very hard on for long
time,” he said, noting Judy Peck, Ron Tuttle, Dave Blevins, Scott Gillan, Ken
Snyder, Dwayne Winters and Kathy Bigarel also serve on the board.
“We’re
all thankful for our legislators, who wrote letters of support, and for the
Cuomo administration for authorizing the work.
Cambray
Terrace, 24 Mill St., sits adjacent to Cambray Courts just off of Main Street
along the shores of the Oswegatchie River.
