The Olbiston Apartments in Utica will undergo a $67 million renovation after the building was deemed unlivable in July of 2021.
The residents were forced to leave due to the conditions, which the city declared unsafe after inspection.
Liberty Affordable Housing is redeveloping the building and will offer 153 affordable housing units after the renovations are finished.
Liberty plans on investing about $55 million in the property. The City of Utica also allocated $3 million from the Utica Prosperity Initiative and $3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Local leaders and state officials gathered at the site Wednesday to break ground for the new project.
“Historic buildings like this in cities and towns upstate are really a beacon for cities and towns about growth and as upstate cities grow, we wanna make sure there’s affordability both for people that lived here for a long time, for their children, who wanna move back, and for new immigrants into towns like Utica,” said Ruthann Visnauskas of NYS Homes and Community Renewal.
The rehabilitation will be extensive and is expected to take two years to complete.
