Planned St. Clare's apartment project moves forward with site rezoned

SCHENECTADY — The planned 240-unit apartment complex at the former St. Clare’s Hospital campus took another step towards coming to fruition with the City Council approving zoning changes for the vacant hospital site.

Project developers Jeff Buell and Chris Spraragen sought the zoning changes in order to build residential units at the former hospital.

Under the approved rezoning, the former hospital site has been converted from the institutional district to R-3 multiple-family residential zoning.

“The key is to have the campus stay active and have it be a productive part of the community as it’s been since 1949,” said Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority board Chairman Ray Gillen on Monday.

The sale of the former hospital was approved by the Ellis Medicine Board of Directors in August following the closure of Ellis’ 82-bed nursing home at the site last summer. St. Clare's Hospital shuttered in 2008 after 60 years in operation. 

In November, Metroplex and the city applied for a Restore NY grant that could provide $1.5 million in state funding for the project. In addition to 240 apartment units, the complex will also be the site of a 20,000-square-foot daycare operation.

The developers are awaiting a decision from the state on the Restore NY grant funding, with recipients to be announced at a date to be determined.

Construction on the McClellan Street complex is expected to begin this summer and last for 18 to 24 months.

"The next step would be for the developers to close on the actual property,” Gillen said. “They did not do so until the approvals were in place, so it sets the stage for the actual property transfer to occur.”

Ellis Medicine will continue to operate its Belanger School of Nursing at the McClellan Street complex during construction on the apartment project, with a pair of medical office buildings on the campus also remaining open.

“We’re very grateful that the three buildings beyond the main building will continue to operate and will continue to be busy places,” Gillen said.

“I think it’s going to be a terrific project,” Councilwoman Carmel Patrick said. “I’m excited that we’re going to have more housing options available for our residents. I think the location is really good because there’s parking, but there’s also proximity to the grocery store [Market 32]. So I think it’s a very creative use of the space. I’m ecstatic that the building won’t be left empty, sitting there with no purpose.”

A resolution passed by the City Council during its April 14 meeting declared that the zoning change will not have an adverse environmental impact.