Project Goals

• Create a welcoming hub for mentoring, social services, and community events.
• Provide safe, service-enriched apartments for teens transitioning out of homelessness.
• Offer flexible offices and retail bays that help local enterprises launch and grow.
• Revitalize an under-used building while repurposing its street presence as a local hub.
• Aim for Living Building Challenge benchmarks where feasible (net-positive energy, low embodied carbon, healthy materials).

Design and Implementation

Layout / Structural Changes

• Full gut renovation; possible fourth-floor addition set back from the street.
• Clear separation of public, commercial, and residential circulation with new elevator and code-compliant stairs.
• Reconfigured core to open ground-level frontage and improve daylight into deep floor plates.

Materials & Finishes

• Repointed brick façade; new high-performance windows matching original rhythm.
• Mass-timber or recycled-steel frame for any added floor.
• Natural fiber insulation, low-VOC coatings, and reclaimed hardwood for common areas.

Key Elements

• Street-level glass storefront for transparency and safety.
• Rooftop solar array and vegetated roof tray system.
• Shared kitchen, lounge, and quiet study rooms for residents.
• Flexible training rooms and small-business incubator pods on the second floor.

Challenges

• Client representation — Earlier architects bypassed the community leader in favor of other stakeholders. Ethan Pomerance Architecture corrected that imbalance through direct weekly meetings and written decision logs.
• Zoning interpretation — Prior schemes misread mixed-use provisions; the team re-plotted use groups and occupancy loads to satisfy the planning board.
• Ownership transfer — The church-owned property requires New York State Attorney General review; design milestones are timed around that legal process.
• Unknown structure — Age and past alterations call for detailed probing and conservative allowances for reinforcement.
• Financing — Budget still forming; coordination under way with Hudson River Housing and private investors to align scope with likely funding. Community Preservation Corporation, Landlords Ambassador, ESHI Grants.

Outcome

The project is expected to move from pre-design into concept studies once the sale is approved. On completion, the building will stand as a visible anchor on Noxon Street, offering:

• Approximately 15,000 ft² of retail and office space for local mission-driven groups.
• A dedicated youth-services floor with 10–12 studio apartments, shared amenities, and on-site counseling rooms.
• Carbon-conscious construction, ready to serve as a pilot for future green retrofits in the city.

Ethan Pomerance Architecture will guide the project through each design phase, providing clear visuals, steady budget monitoring, and hands-on collaboration with stakeholders to bring this community vision to life.