By Maury Thompson
thompson@poststar.com
Demolition, Replacement of Henry Hudson Town Houses to Begin
GLENS FALLS -- Construction is set to begin on a $15.75 million project to replace the Henry Hudson Town Houses complex in Glens Falls.
"It will be probably two weeks before bulldozers are out there and anything is visible," said Charles Allen, a principal in Evergreen Partners.
Allen announced Tuesday afternoon that the Maine-based development group completed the purchase of the townhouse complex between Broad Street and Hudson Avenue.
Evergreen, in a joint venture with Marathon Development, has been working with city officials for about two years on a plan to demolish the 136 townhouse units in phases and replace them with 136 new apartment units.
The new complex, to be called Village Green Apartments, will continue to offer government-subsidized housing to households earning $32,220 or less annually, according to a press release.
Preliminary site work in preparation for construction will "begin immediately," and major construction will begin in a few weeks, Allen said Tuesday.
Townhouse buildings will be demolished and replaced in phases to minimize inconvenience for residents. The first units to be demolished will be along Broad Street.
Demolition will begin in four to five weeks, Allen said. Construction is expected to take about two years.
Glens Falls Mayor Roy Akins said he was glad to hear construction is getting under way. Replacing the townhouses with new apartments will make that section of the city more attractive for development, he said.
"It will certainly open up the Exit 18 corridor to Glens Falls," he said.
Also Tuesday, the state Housing Finance Agency announced it completed $15.7 million in financing for the project through several government and private lenders.
