ELMIRA, N.Y.(WENY)-- Downtown Elmira welcomed Arbor housing into its historic district officially in October of 2019, as they are working on new living and work spaces. The development group has been working bringing rental spaces and new store fronts to Elmira's downtown. Arbor has developments all over the Southern Tier of New York and the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania, but this is their first project in Elmira. 

"I believe this our first multi-unit rental project that we've taken on and you know the city was very supportive, the county was very supportive. We were able to get New York restore money through the city and the downtown revitalization money contributing to our project," says Rocco Soda, Director of Real Estate Developments for Arbor Housing.

More housing and living spaces are always needed in the city, but these ones are aimed at a specific group of people.

"There really was a need for artists work space and live workspace and you know throughout the state these artists complexes you know are very popular where artists can congregate and live in the same community," Soda tells WENY News.

Not only is this project part of the downtown revitalization initiative (DRI) project, but the properties are also on the national register of historic places as part of the Elmira civic historic district. Soda told WENY News helping revitalize the historic district makes this restoration a little more special to the non-profit.

"To be able to take these blighted buildings and restore them as part of all the great things happening downtown is something we were excited about," says Soda. 

 Soda told WENY News the planned completion date of the renovations is going to be in October 2020, making the project span exactly a year long.