Zach Fuller presented plans to members of the County Legislature on Monday for a 55-unit apartment complex on East Main Street, Batavia, hoping to sway the Legislature to officially support it which will keep the project moving forward.
Fuller said 18 of the units will be designated as transitional housing for formerly homeless veterans.
Fuller is with Eagle Star, which operates a home in East Pembroke to assist homeless veterans. The program is aimed at helping veterans re-establish stable lives, providing assistance in obtaining veterans benefits, counseling, life coaching, and a supportive atmosphere.
The complex at 552, 554, and 556 E. Main St., will provide housing to veterans who are ready to move out of the East Pembroke home, or the one Eagle Star operates in Spencerport. Eagle Star works with the Veterans Administration to identify eligible veterans.
"Many of our veterans don't know they're eligible for Social Security, veterans benefits, or some benefits are not fully activated," Fuller said. "We try to make sure they are accessing everything that they are supposed to be and allowed to access."
The veterans program, which will include an on-site guidance counselor, is funded through a state grant.
The rest of the 55 units in the four-story complex will be designated for people earning under the median income for Batavia.
Fuller said the location is ideal for the community of people it will serve because it is a walkable neighborhood with essential amenities, such as a grocery store, pharmacy and public transportation nearby.
Further funding applications will be submitted to NYSHCR in December.
The property is already zoned for this sort of facility and the project has been approved by the city's planning committee.
Fuller hopes to begin construction in the fall with apartments move-in ready in early 2020.
