KINGSTON, NY — Officials from RUPCO met with city, Ulster county and state officials on Tuesday to celebrate the completion of Landmark Place.
The 14-acre, multi-family campus contains affordable and supportive housing units for people ages 55 and older. The project consists of the redeveloped former Kingston Alms House, now called Landmark West, with 34 studio apartments and a newly constructed four-story building, called Landmark East, with 32 one-bedroom units. The project represents an investment of US$ 25 million.
RUPCO Chief Executive Officer Kevin O’Connor recalled how he got the idea for Landmark Place after visiting a group home and seeing four people in a room the size of the room he grew up in. “I felt we could do a lot better in terms of providing decent, safe, affordable and supportive housing for some of our most vulnerable citizens,” he said.
O’Connor said he sees the historic Alms House landmark, vacated by Ulster County in 2014, as the perfect opportunity to realize that dream and give something 150 years old a chance to be here for at least another 100 years.
Kingston Mayor Steve Noble also said at the event the completed project shows a spirit of perseverance amid widespread neighborhood opposition at the outset.
“I knew they were going to build something that would increase the real estate values of this neighborhood,” Noble said. “I knew they would provide supportive services to residents.”
Resident Michael Adkins said in a speech that he loves his Landmark West apartment, noting that the reduced rent represents the freedom to care for his 93-year-old mother, eat healthy and enjoy his hobbies, within a tiny budget of his disability and social security controls.
“The kitchen and bathroom are amazing, my windows open to a 20-mile view,” he said. “These people didn’t waste a penny, they didn’t save.”
Following the speeches, RUPCO offered tours of Landmark East and West for employees and the public throughout Tuesday.
The first floor of Landmark East will house RUPCO offices and common areas, while the remaining floors will house apartments.
Sally Dolan, RUPCO’s real estate development project coordinator, shared information about Landmark East in a third-floor common room with sofas, chairs, a television and even a pool table.
She said Landmark East, a four-story steel and concrete building, has 32 one-bedroom units. She highlighted the building’s eco-friendly features, including a solar roof and heat pumps, which also cool each unit.
She said senior-friendly amenities include grab bars in all units and hallways wide enough for two wheelchairs to pass. Residents can easily move between floors using an elevator or a glass-walled staircase, which Dolan says encourages residents to get up and move around.
Unit 308, a show condo, had a full kitchen, living room, bedroom, and large closet. There’s no carpeting because it causes allergies and is difficult to clean, a staffer said.
Lindsey Sutton, property manager, said those who did not previously have a home would pay monthly rent equal to 30 percent of their income, up to $938. For the remaining units, rents range from $781 to $938 per month. Utilities are included.
Landmark Place has a stop on the Ulster County Area Transit Yellow Route and RUPCO also operates a shuttle service using its own buses and drivers. O’Connor said about 50 percent of the complex’s residents don’t drive.
