About Union Square

The Union Square Apartments (formerly Armory Square Apartments) is the largest project Rockingham Area Community Land Trust (RACLT) has undertaken. Housing Vermont and Rockingham Area Community Land Trust intend to substantially rehabilitate the main building, and reduce density from 72 apartments to 58 apartments. After more than a year of planning and fundraising, the project construction began April, 2008, and to be completed by December 2009.

 

The Block, as it is commonly referred to, was constructed in 1922 and was the largest apartment house in Northern New England, providing housing for many mill workers in the town of Windsor, Vermont and surrounding communities. A very large apartment house that could accommodate families represented a progressive concept in company housing at the time, as most company housing was comprised of single or two family houses, or dormitory style housing for single men.

Union Square is composed of nine identical four story attached apartment buildings, each containing a central staircase, with two apartments on each floor. A firewall separates the buildings and each has a full basement. At the rear of the complex, a wing projects from the center of each building in a 'T' shape and each building is separated from the adjacent one by a narrow courtyard.

In 1989 Armory Square was purchased by a Massachusetts based developer  who used Low Income Housing Tax Credits and a HUD Moderate Rehab Section 8 allocation to rehabilitate the property. Thus began the long, slow decline that has culminated in its present condition. Armory Square is plagued by problems that face many low -income developments. The buildings themselves are dilapidated and have suffered from inattention for many years.

In November of 2007, after many months of hard work and negotiation, The RACLT and Housing Vermont, its statewide tax credit partner, purchased Armory Square and major renovations are transforming the buildings into decent, affordable and safe housing. This two year process will include relocating a number of current tenants during construction.

The newly hired Property Manager, Stewart Property Management, The RACLT resident Services Coordinator, and the RACLT AmeriCorps Parent-Child Outreach Coordinator will lead this work. They have already begun re-locating residents. Two larger goals and ones that will take time, are 1) the building of a positive community of people who have faith in the property management, in their town, in their neighbors and most of all in themselves and 2) the formation of a Tenants Association to assume primary stewardship of Armory Square. This process will include community trust building activities, events and initiatives. See Construction Info for more details.
 

July 27, 2008 -Groundbreaking and Rehab Launch Celebration

Rockingham Area Community Land Trust, Town of Windsor, and Housing Vermont held a groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation to the existing Armory Square Apartments in Windsor, Vermont. See Complete Press Release  View Groundbreaking Photos
 

Construction  

• Construction will take between 18 and 24 months.
• The total estimated construction cost is approximately $9 million.
• Housing Vermont and RACLT are working to incorporate the highest levels of energy conservation, and are seeking to reduce significantly the use of fossil fuels.  A wood-pellet fired heating system is planned.
• An elevator will serve all four stories.
• A community room and manager’s office will be located on the first floor of the building.
• New parking will be created in what is now a vacant lot on Union Street; and a new playground will also be created across the street from the Block.
• The project architect is Gossens-Bachman Architects from Montpelier, Vermont.

Ownership 

• HV Non-Profit, Inc., a subsidiary of Housing Vermont, purchased the Block on September 28, 2007.
• The purchase price was $3.1 million.
• Housing Vermont and Rockingham Area Community Land Trust (RACLT) will be the controlling partners of the Limited Partnership that is being created to own the property long term. The transfer to the new limited partnership will take place this winter.

Management 

• Stewart Property Management (SPM), a professional management firm based in Bedford, NH, now manages the property, on a three-year management contract.
• Mike Kemp is SPM’s on-site manager. He currently is on-site from 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.
• SPM also provides maintenance services.

Funding 

• Funders include USDA Rural Development, The Vermont Housing Finance Agency, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, the Vermont Community Development Program, NeighborWorks® America, the Town of Windsor, Housing Vermont, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and Mascoma Savings Bank.

Housing Vermont is a private, nonprofit development company founded in 1988 to produce permanently affordable rental housing for Vermonters through partnerships with communities and the private sector.  Since its inception, Housing Vermont has raised more than $163 million in private equity to finance 121 affordable rental housing developments throughout the State.  The nearly 4,000 apartments created or renovated in these efforts serve low and moderate income Vermonters including seniors and those with special needs.  Many developments also include commercial space.

Armory Square, Windsor VT-Groundbreaking with Partners