Photo by Howard Owens.
Tuesday’s lottery drawing was the next step in the process of filling Ellicott Station with tenants, the new housing complex in downtown Batavia.
The drawing happened in Savarino Companies’ Buffalo office, and The Batavian followed up with company President/CEO Sam Savarino for details about how it went.
More specifically, we asked how many people were chosen, and how many were singles and families, the income levels and if they were all employed, as Savarino had expressed they would be during a prior interview.
He was not sure what information would be “proper to divulge” about the 55 tenants chosen by lottery and on a waitlist, Savarino said Friday.
“So I have to politely decline your request at this time. It was announced at the event that there would be follow-up for qualifying/vetting pursuant to guidelines,” he said. “It was evident that nearly all 55 identified currently reside in Batavia or (in the) immediate environment.”
The lottery was part of an application and selection process for the new one- and two-bedroom housing complex on Ellicott Street.
According to the application guidelines, income qualifications meet very low levels that, in some cases, are too high for minimum wage earners, making it seem likely that at least some applicants will fall within Section 8 parameters.
City of Batavia management and City Council members sent a letter to Housing and Community Renewal for reconsideration of current income levels set for Ellicott Station, so that higher salary earners (per the median area income) could be eligible to apply for apartments.
Both sides have talked, Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said, but no other details have been disclosed. City Manager Rachael Tabelski has not responded to requests for updates related to the issue.
File Photo of Ellicott Station in an earlier phase of construction, by Howard Owens.
