THE POPE FRANCIS APARTMENTS AT LORETO
Located at 2377 Pacific Street (aka 126 Sackman Street), the Catholic Charities Pope Francis Apartments at Loreto feature an 8 story, 83,683 square foot building and provide 135 affordable apartments and case management for low income and formerly homeless seniors, enabling them to live safely, comfortably, and independently for as long as possible. The new construction includes 24 hour security, lounge, tenant activity rooms, laundry facilities and rooftop solar panels to reduce the cost of electricity and reduce the building’s carbon footprint. Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services, Inc., the social services provider of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, provides case management services within the building for the senior supportive residents.
Developed in partnership with Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation (CCPOP), the affordable housing arm of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, and New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), funding for the Pope Francis Apartments at Loreto includes $3.4 million in permanent tax exempt bonds, federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $19 million in equity and an additional $24.6 million subsidy from HCR. The New York State Department of Health provided $2 million annually for tenant rental assistance and supportive services through the Governor’s Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI.
This new facility was the second phase of redevelopment of the former Our Lady of Loreto Church and integrates 40 percent of the units to affordable independent residences for seniors (AIRS) with 60 percent of the units designated as senior supportive housing.
The 54 AIRS units will target seniors 62 years of age and older and be affordable to individuals earning up to 50 percent Area Median Income (AMI). The remaining 81 units will be supportive housing units targeting individuals who are formerly homeless, over the age of 55, and are frail elderly. Rents for these supportive units are supported with a rental subsidy through the ESSHI program.
ARCHITECT
RKTB
PROJECT LOCATION
126 Sackman Street, Brooklyn
PROJECT SIZE
8 stories, 136 residential units
PROJECT COST
$48 million
SCOPE
Design, approvals and construction administration of Mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, electrical and fire alarm systems. Due to the low budget for the MEP systems, Altera engineers were challenged with finding efficient solutions using older technologies. The client opted to save money on the cooling system by selecting packaged through wall air conditioning units (PTACs). As a result, the only opportunity to improve efficiency lay in the building’s heating system.
High efficiency condensing boilers were specified. To achieve operational efficiencies, the team implemented thoughtful zoning of the hydronic distribution based on façade exposures, allowing water temperatures and hot water supply to adjust in real time according to demand. All apartments were equipped with smart thermostats wired into an addressable network, enabling the operator to monitor, control, override, and track energy use at a granular level.