What's new in Hornell? Plan is to more than double available units at the Residences

When Eric Basset first toured Hornell to scout locations for a potential housing development, he was struck by the limited number of options available to renters in the city.

That visit was more than five years ago, long before a flurry of projects began to add hundreds of new units to Hornell’s housing stock.

“We looked into it and said ‘Gee, why is there nothing here?’ We dug into it a little deeper and realized it’s warranted and needed, and it would be beneficial for the people of Hornell,” Basset recalled. “Why are they not deserving of having some of these types of housing options? We decided to make the investment, and so far it has been great.”

The Basset Group's project, The Residences, opened in 2018 and currently offers 63 two-bedroom apartments across three buildings on Residence Road.

The project, though, is just getting started.

All told, an additional 84 units are in the works for The Residences. Delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated supply shortages slowed the original timeline of the project, but Basset is now moving forward with plans to more than double its footprint in Hornell.

Phase 2 of the three-phase development is currently taking shape. The exterior of a fourth building is nearly complete, and interior work is well underway. The new building and its 21 units are expected to open to tenants in the spring of 2023. The pad for a neighboring building is already in place, with construction likely to begin this winter ahead of another possible 2023 debut.

“Our goal is to have one (building) ready for occupancy sometime in the spring of ’23, and then the other one hopefully by next winter or even sooner,” said Basset. “Once things start to normalize again and we start to get back into the groove like we were before, I think it will get faster and faster.”

Basset envisions erecting two more buildings in addition to the pair currently in the works. When that Phase 3 effort is eventually completed, The Residences would then consist of 147 units across seven buildings, creating a sizable hub for housing at the northernmost reaches of the city.

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What to know about The Residences

Each building at The Residences contains 21 two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment units that feature a minimum 1,000 square feet of living space and an outdoor patio. Five different floor plans are offered, with rents ranging from $1,250 to $1,500 depending on the size of the unit. Fiber internet, cable television and waste disposal services are included with each rental.

The Basset Group found that two-bedroom units were the “sweet spot” for the market, providing options for small families, couples and single residents.

“For the professional, they have an extra room for an occasional visitor or a home office,” said Basset. “The culture has changed dramatically since COVID and there’s many more people working remotely. We’ve got good square footage and it seems to work out well.”

Other amenities include central air conditioning, dishwashers, stainless steel appliances, washer and electric dryer hookups, keyless entry, an intercom and building surveillance system. Each building is constructed with 19 interior garages, 17 single-car garages and two double-car garages, available for rent.

Basset has at least one staff member on site throughout the day to handle any issues that may arise. The company’s longterm plan for The Residences includes the construction of a central office building to house staff and provide a drop-off point for rent payments.

The development sits on a lightly traveled road in the Arkport Central School District, bordered mostly by agricultural lands.

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Where The Residences fits into Hornell’s housing boom

Hornell’s housing boom over the last five years traces back to a 2016 study that found the city needed to add several hundred units to meet demand as Alstom and other employers ramped up their operations.

The Basset Group was among the first investors to commit to a large-scale project in Hornell, and, collectively, The Residences will become the city’s largest new housing development when the new buildings come online. A similar apartment complex at Fairlawn Hills was opened in 2018 by Riedman Companies.

The demand for housing has also resulted in the rehabilitation of historic buildings in the city. Park Grove Realty opened The Lofts at Rockland Silk Mill in 2021, turning the old Marion Rohr building into 23 apartment units. Park Grove has also launched a project to transform the former Bryant School building into 39 apartment units.

A number of smaller-scale housing projects were selected for funding among Hornell’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization award, and a Rochester developer recently unveiled plans to build 25-30 apartments in an adaptive reuse of the former Evening Tribune building.

While The Residences, Fairlawn Hills and The Lofts all offer market-rate units, the Bryant School Apartments will provide “workforce housing” limited to residents earning up to 60% of Steuben County’s median income.

“These projects really show the growth that we’re seeing in Hornell,” said Mayor John Buckley. “Certainly housing plays a pivotal role into that equation, especially when you see Alstom expanding at the rate that they are and the success TTA has had. Strobels has grown exponentially over the years. With all these companies experiencing growth, people are coming here and they need a place to live. Basset is answering that call.”

Basset said the tenant mix at The Residences has included seniors downsizing out of large homes, young professionals employed in local industry, professors at nearby Alfred University and Alfred State College, and retirees new to the community.

“It’s bringing people into the area that may not have normally have lived there. That may spill over into additional benefits for the local businesses,” said Basset. “We still have a lot of our original tenants. People love it. Some people are just passing by doing jobs in the area for a year or two. It’s a great mix of tenants.”

Chris Potter can be reached at cpotter@gannett.com or on Twitter @ChrisPotter413. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.