A rededication celebrated the CABS Senior Houses at 590 Dekalb Avenue.
A ribbon cutting celebrated the rejuvenation of 590 Dekalb Avenue, a building of affordable senior housing units that first opened for residents in 1984. In 2010, the board of Consumer Action Program of Bedford-Stuyvesant (CABS) Senior HDFC looked to rehabilitate the property to ensure permanent affordable housing for generations. St. Nicks Alliance was enlisted by CABS to assist in the completion of the project, which included:
- Interior renovations of all apartments
- A remodeled main entrance and exterior
- A new roof
- A refurbished community room
- Upgrade of plumbing, heating, and lighting
- Refurbishment of all elevators
In addition to St. Nicks Alliance’s Property Management staff, Rockabill Advisors LLC, Nomad Architecture, FG-PH Corp., Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP, JR Landscaping & Neoscape Gardens, and MHR Management all played roles on the development team. Financing was provided by New York State Housing Finance Agency, Richman Housing Resources, and JP Morgan Chase.
When William Pernisek started at CABS in 1973 the area consisted of abandoned buildings and vacant lots. “This building and the nursing home were the first investments in this particular area. We were a business that did minority business loans. In being a socially relevant agency, we noticed there was a great need for services for the elderly. By providing those services you provide jobs, cash flow, and make a difference,” said Pernisek.
“One of the things that is important about we’ve done here is that this was a cooperative effort. Everybody has certain expertise. We partnered up with St. Nicks Alliance, who had a great amount of experience putting together the package of financing, investors, architects and etc. that made this possible. The reality of the world we are in now is that we all have to work together, and I think the partnership with St. Nicks Alliance is where things have to go in this country.”
Michael Rochford, the Executive Director of St. Nicks Alliance said, “St. Nicks Alliance’s relationship with CABS goes back many, many years. We share a number of common threads. We focus on elder care services (home care and housing) as well a philosophy of providing a high quality experience to those we serve. We are very honored to work alongside CABS. We as organizations have to figure out a way to collaborate together. We look forward to continue to replenish the supply of affordable housing throughout North Brooklyn.”
CABS Senior Houses project started in 1982 when CABS Corp. sought to expand housing opportunities for elderly residents after achieving success with CABS Nursing Home. CABS Senior HDFC was formed to construct the 111-unit building is adjacent to the nursing home. 50 years ago CABS started as a group of local residents dedicated to providing housing and senior services to improve the social and health conditions of their residents.
View the full album of photos from the rededication on our Facebook page.
The Greenline 