Nonprofit begins fourth restoration effort of an historic home.
Restoration Housing has announced that they are beginning the historic restoration of their fourth project, a circa 1893 home that once belonged to one of Roanoke’s earliest mayors, Sylvester Siefert.
The historic home has suffered decades of deferred maintenance and is in need of a restoration overhaul to bring it back to its original grandeur. The organization held a “Restoration Kick-Off” on October 17th in celebration of the commencement of construction with a crowd of supporters and members of Roanoke City’s Economic Development Department.
This restoration effort will be one of the first projects to utilize historic tax credits in the newly nominated Belmont Historic District of Southeast Roanoke.
“Our organization is excited for the chance to work in Southeast Roanoke and to take a beautiful historic home and find a way to not only restore it but also have it serve the community once it’s complete,” said Restoration Housing Executive Director Isabel Thornton. After construction ends next Summer, the organization plans to accommodate four affordable housing units in the building that will serve formerly homeless individuals.
Acquired by Restoration Housing last year, this project will be the fourth rehabilitation overhaul for the nonprofit organization, which began in 2014. Their first two projects are located in the West End and are both used as affordable rental housing. The third project is the Villa Heights Rec Center, which is located in Northwest Roanoke and which provides affordable rental space for nonprofit organizations seeking to expand services in low to moderate income neighborhoods.
Roanoke contractor Square 1, which also completed the previous three projects, will perform the renovation and Jeff Wood Designs completed architectural drawings. Each project of the organization uses historic tax credits to offset construction costs and keep rents affordable.
