Move-Ins Start at 78-Unit Senior Affordable Housing Project

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorLinden, N.J.–The John T. Gregorio Towers, a seven-story, 78-unit senior affordable housing project in Linden, N.J., designed by Gran Kriegel Associates, has recently been completed. Move-ins into the Section 8 project have already begun.The Housing and Urban Development Authority (HUD) and the Linden Housing Corp. are funding the project, named after former Linden mayor John T. Gregorio. The John T. Gregorio Towers features a multipurpose room, which is served by a commercial kitchen. This communal space accommodates dining and special events, also serving the two adjacent existing buildings, which are part of the Linden senior housing complex. There is also an outdoor area for individual and group functions. Resident interaction is further facilitated by tenant lounges on each floor as well as a number of activity rooms: laundry, visiting physician, beauty salon, and computer room. “The interesting part about designing a senior affordable housing project it is that you are challenged to create a space that has as less of an institutional feel as possible, without blowing up the budget, which is quite tight,” Warren Gran, partner with Gran Kriegel Associates, tells MHN.The one-bedroom residences feature windows with built-in blinds, vinyl wood plank floors and panel doors. Typical apartments are handicap adaptable, meeting all Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards. One apartment on each floor is fully accessible for sight- and hearing-impaired tenants.The construction consists of load-bearing masonry walls and pre-cast concrete plank. The new building, at seven stories, bridges the scale between the existing 11-story buildings and the adjacent residential neighborhood.“Our goal on this project was to make the building look upbeat and positive through the use of multi-colored brick facades and light green metal windows and entrances. Simple devices like tiled elevator lobbies, lighting that’s more residential than commercial, and all those small things contribute to making the place look less institutional,” adds Gran.