Work is finally and officially underway on the mixed use development project at the corner of Elmwood and Bryant (former Children’s Hospital parking lot). The development of the five story building was delayed due to a NYS Brownfield Program cleanup component, according to Nick Sinatra of Sinatra and Company, who shares control of the site with Ellicott Development. “We’ve finally started,” said Sinatra. “We have the excavation equipment cleaning up currently – there was once a gas station at the corner. Then we’re bringing in new soil, and then you will see the steel beams arrive. This marks the official start of the project, which so many people are looking forward to – we were hoping to be at this point months ago, but there were delays that were beyond our control.”
Once complete, the building (part of the broader Elmwood Crossing project) will include first floor commercial, and second floor creative office space with Google-esque open floor plans, according to Sinatra. “The former hospital site is an Opportunity Zone, which means that businesses (mainly start-ups) can get a load of benefits. Then there are three floors of residential.”
The building was originally planned to be six stories, but due to Green Code restrictions limiting the height of the building, the development team finally settled for five stories… which is a heck of a lot better than three!
The (former) MTK building seen in the lead image will not be razed. Rather, it will be incorporated into the design schematic of the five story building, with a patio for residents on top.
From here on out, we will see 12 to 14 months of construction, with a completion date of next fall. This project will be another game changer for The Elmwood Village, which could use a couple of large scale developments at this juncture in time.