Canal Commons & Reynolds Way Earn NY Preservation League’s Excellence in Historic Preservation Award Recognition
The Preservation League of New York State recognizes Canal Commons and Reynolds Way with the 2024 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award. The coveted historic preservation award spotlights the people using historic preservation to enhance lives through exemplary restoration, indispensable publications, individual action, and organizational distinction.
Canal Commons – Rochester, NY
Canal Commons was included on the Landmark Society of Western New York’s “Five to Revive” list in 2020. This $64 million adaptive reuse remediation project transformed a vacant building into multi-unit housing located in the historic Susan B. Anthony neighborhood. This long-vacant historic warehouse building now houses 123 supportive/affordable units with commons areas and an outdoor courtyard. Canal Commons is not only shaping the Rochester landscape and contributing to the viability of the neighborhood but also helping to expand the mission of East House by providing safe and dependable housing for individuals in recovery for those experiencing homelessness.
Hamilton Stern Construction is proud of this prestigious honor and to have been part of the project team as the construction manager on behalf of East House, the developer and project sponsor. Other members of the project team included MM Development Advisors, Inc.; Plan Architectural Studio; Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.; Cannon, Heyman & Weiss, LLP, and Knauf Shaw LLP; and Preservation Studios, LLC.
Reynolds Way Apartments – Elmira, NY
Hamilton Stern is honored to have been the construction manager on Reynolds Way—also recognized with the Preservation League of NYS Excellence in Historic Preservation Award. Located in the heart of Elmira’s civic historic district, the Reynold’s Way project is comprised of four scattered site buildings that had been vacant and in various stages of blight for many years.
Maintaining the historic integrity of the buildings, the sites now house 41 energy-efficient units—five studios, 30 one-bedroom, and six two-bedroom. Many of the unique original features were preserved including hardwood flooring, fireplaces, ornate staircases, doors, trim and built-in shelving. Two of the buildings have been returned to their original usage as residential apartments after a century of various uses and now feature elaborate porches that had been previously removed from their facades. Across the street from those buildings, a former warehouse was transformed into a community room. The fourth building, a single-family dwelling, was rehabilitated into four one-bedroom apartments with elaborate fireplaces and millwork.
We are grateful to Arbor Housing and Development for the opportunity. As one of the many partners who brought this project to life, Hamilton Stern is honored to have been the construction manager on Reynold’s Way. Recognition extends to all the partners on the project, including Johnson-Schmidt & Associates, Architects and Historic Preservationists; Sustainable Comfort, Environmental Consultants; Jensen BRV, Structural Engineers; Fagan Engineers, Site Engineers; Williams Construction; and O’Connor Plumbing and Heating.
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Hamilton Stern Construction is a full-service construction management firm, general contractor, and design-build consultant located in Pittsford, NY. Established in 2010, we have become a trusted partner with a repertoire of clients and robust project portfolio across various markets, including commercial, industrial/manufacturing, higher education, and multi-unit housing. At the center of everything we do is our clients and our people. With a focus on craftsmanship, transparency and collaboration, Hamilton Stern Construction provides exceptional service that exceeds expectations, while fostering a culture of safety, teamwork, quality, and innovation.