Atlantic City affordable housing rehab by Michaels, ACHA kicks off

Rehabilitation work is set to begin on an affordable housing community in Atlantic City after a Dec. 10 groundbreaking at Buzby Homes.

The Michaels Organization announced the start of its $15.4 million endeavor with the Atlantic City Housing Authority to update the 126-unit property that, according to the real estate company, has remained largely untouched since it was built in 1952.

“We’re so proud to work with The Michaels Organization to develop modern and environmentally equitable affordable housing for Buzby residents,” said ACHA Interim Executive Director Denise Gordy. “Too often, communities like these were originally constructed without a resiliency plan in place to mitigate changes in the natural environment. But by the time our work here is finished, Buzby will be primed to withstand the literal and figurative storms Atlantic City has grown to face.”

In addition to interior updates, Buzby Homes will benefit from new sustainability and flood resiliency designs–and from job opportunities for its residents and those of the surrounding area.

The Michaels Organization also said that the property’s current management staff would be re-hired when work is complete, expected in March 2023.

The modified community room at Buzby will feature a game room and commercial laundry machines in addition to new flooring, lighting and restrooms. Resiliency upgrades will include solar panels, an emergency generator, a potable water storage tank and energy efficient appliances, The Michael’s Organization said.

The company said it met with residents throughout the year for input on finishes for the community’s homes. Those touches will include granite countertops, in-unit laundry, covered front porches, energy efficient lighting and appliances, upgraded vinyl plank flooring and ceramic tile for the bathrooms, and individual room control heating and air conditioning systems.

Plans for the project were developed by SOSH Architects and Urban Practice; Arthur W. Ponzio Co. & Associates and RPM Engineering will serve as on-site engineers.

“The Michaels Organization built our first-ever affordable housing community in Atlantic City nearly 50 years ago, and we still help manage it and several others throughout the city today,” said Vice President of Development Nick Cangelosi. “Michaels plays the long game. Once we invest in a project – and in people – we see everything through until the end and are committed to helping find success in both the short and long term. And now we greatly look forward to helping Buzby succeed and in maintaining its transformation.”

And Michaels is already gearing up for its next project in the seaside resort town. The real estate company said it received a Choice Neighborhoods Implementation planning grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that will help it rehab the state’s oldest affordable housing community: Stanley Homes on Adriatic Avenue.