FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Heather Schechter
Director of Marketing, Sunrise Management & Consulting
hschechter@sunrisemc.com; (518) 782-0200 ext. 103
SUNRISE MANAGEMENT & CONSULTING TO HOLD JUNE 17
GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR DRAPER LOFTS APARTMENTS AND
DRAPER MEMORY LANE STROLL BENEFITTING THE MOHONASEN FOUNDATION
ALBANY, NY (June 6, 2016) – On Friday, June 17th at 11:00 a.m., the courtyard of the former Draper school in Rotterdam will buzz with excitement once more as the community gathers for a groundbreaking ceremony for Draper Lofts Apartments followed by a tour of the school and a chance to purchase architectural salvage items in support of the Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence.
“The Draper building holds so many fond memories,” said President and Founder of Sunrise Management & Consulting Jesse Holland, who is taking the lead on the development of Draper Lofts Apartments, an adaptive reuse of the Draper school building. “We received requests from members of the community to see the inside of the school and say farewell to the classrooms before the construction of Draper Lofts begins. When we visited the school, we found beautiful original doors and other items that couldn’t be used in the renovation. With people repurposing architectural salvage to create something new, like a coffee table from an old door, I had the idea to give the community the chance to take home a little piece of their history. From my wife Mindy Holland, a Mohonasen librarian, I learned about the work of the Mohonasen Foundation to support education. Mohonasen is the successor district to Draper, so offering them the architectural salvage seemed a natural fit.”
During the Draper Memory Lane Stroll benefitting the Mohonasen Foundation, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., retired teachers and Draperians will lead tours through the school while reminiscing about its heyday. Admission for the tour is a suggested donation to the Mohonasen Foundation; those who donate will receive a piece of the Draper auditorium curtain to take home, while supplies last. Sunrise Management & Consulting is providing the Mohonasen Foundation with classroom doors, auditorium seat backs, and other pieces of history to offer for sale. As an additional fundraiser, Tops American Grill will provide snacks and beverages with the proceeds going to the Mohonasen Foundation.
“When Jesse Holland and his team came to a Mohonasen Foundation meeting to present the Draper Memory Lane Stroll concept, we were excited both to get a chance to see what became of our old school, and to raise funds for our organization,” explains John Gahan, a member of the Mohonasen Foundation. “Our mission is to promote excellence in education in the Rotterdam-Mohonasen Central School District. Proceeds from the Draper Memory Lane Stroll will allow us to provide even greater opportunities for Mohonasen students.”
Tops American Grill became involved in this fundraiser through its owner Evan Christou, who has many roles in the Town of Rotterdam, including Deputy Supervisor and a Director of the Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence. Christou explains, “In the restaurant business, we often say, ‘the most expensive thing in our restaurant is an empty chair.’ I believe that an empty building has the same effect on a municipality. Empty buildings represent decay, indifference, and neglect. Thankfully, Sunrise Management & Consulting shares our vision to improve and revitalize Rotterdam and has committed the investment dollars to do so. Besides being a resident and a local small business owner, I am from a family vested in the success of Rotterdam. I attended Draper in 1969 as a second grader, the year my father bought the original Tops Diner, and we moved here from Kingston, NY. As a new kid in a new school, one would think it would have been a difficult transition. This was NOT the case at Draper. My classmates were more than welcoming and although I left Draper in the seventh grade, many of those friendships still exist today. I also am a board member of the Schenectady County Industrial Development Agency. Under the leadership of Ray Gillen, along with the rest of the board, we see a revitalization of all of Schenectady County. Mr. Gillen has shown his commitment to the entire County, including the Town of Rotterdam, and I make myself available to assist him any way I can.”
Ray Gillen, Chair of the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority said, “The development of Draper Lofts is strongly supported by Schenectady County. We have worked with Jesse Holland and his team on other projects, and we are so pleased to be working with them again on Draper Lofts. This is a major investment in a property that needs attention and Jesse and his team have wonderful plans for the building, and these plans are strongly supported by the Town and County.”
“We were in the planning stages of a project in Averill Park where we converted a former Sand Lake school into Homeroom Lofts Apartments,” explains Holland. “I started looking for other opportunities and learned about the Draper school in Rotterdam. As our plans unfolded, I brought the Homeroom Lofts team to look at the project: Bob Bucher of Design Logic Architects and Jim Mesko of JPM Contractors. Through the architect’s expertise, he figured out how to get a rentable number of units into that space. The contractor came up with a construction budget and priced out the project. The Draper school has repeatedly been vandalized and was an eyesore to the neighborhood. We presented Metroplex with our plans for Draper Lofts Apartments, and they were eager to help. We look forward to breathing new life into this building as homes for people in the community that will fit in nicely with the surrounding residential area.”
Homeroom Lofts is a modern and luxurious 35-unit apartment community that hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 25th. Draper Lofts Apartments is a much larger scale project with an investment of $12.5 million from the development team, led by Jesse Holland. Sunrise Capital Partners is the majority owner in Draper Lofts, LLC, who is undertaking this project. “Draper Lofts will include 111 apartments that range in size from approximately 650 square feet to 1,400 square feet,” explains Holland. “Studio, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units will be available. Plans will be finalized as apartments are created. Designing apartments from an existing building is like putting together pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. We will make changes as we go and adapt to the features of the building. We’re hoping to have our first residents in 18-24 months.”
As with Homeroom Lofts apartments, Draper Lofts will create a stunning combination of original detail and modern amenities. “We will have a variety of floor plans that use the architectural features inherent in a building of this age and style,” explains Jesse Holland. “Apartments will take advantage of the design of the old school and some will offer oversized windows, light-filled rooms, and high ceilings. Draper Lofts will include a clubhouse, fitness room, community courtyard, and laundry facilities, with some apartments having a washer and dryer. Additional storage will be available in the building.”
While creating apartments that will reinvigorate the surrounding community, Holland is looking forward to giving former students a way to connect with their history: “we are seeking donations of trophies from Draper to set up in a display case inside the school. At the Draper Memory Lane Stroll, my wife will set up a table with Draperian yearbooks for people to read. She found a fascinating write-up on the history of the district from the ’76 Draperian; we have posted it on the property website at www.DraperLofts.com.”
For more information, visit www.DraperLofts.com. Updates will be posted and emailed to those who submit information. Draper Lofts will be located at 901 Draper Avenue, Rotterdam, NY 12306 and managed by Sunrise Management & Consulting.
– 30 –
About Sunrise Management & Consulting
Sunrise Management & Consulting provides development consulting, marketing, leasing and property management services for multifamily investors across the northeastern United States. The professionals at Sunrise Management & Consulting utilize innovative management and consulting programs to deliver consistent, dependable results that exceed industry performance standards. The company also provides real estate brokerage services in residential, multifamily, commercial and investment transactions through its subsidiary, Sunrise Realty Advisors. For more information, please visit www.sunrisemc.com.