LATHAM— BBL Charitable Foundation will donate $100,000 to the construction of the King Thiel Senior Community housing project in the Town of Colonie.
The money will go towards the planning, development, and construction of the King Thiel Center. Colonie Senior Services has a Capital Campaign worth $2 million for the project.
“BBL’s support of our Capital Campaign comes from our effort, especially from our Board members, over many years to build relationships. Our friends know when we go to the community for support, it is a serious need and our request for support will be reasonable and the funds well spent,” Ed Neary, executive director of Colonie Senior Service Centers said in a statement.
After a 10 year planning process, CSSC announced the new project in May. The housing will be designed for independent seniors aged 55 and up. Located at 17 Elks Lane in Latham, the site will contain 96 units and is projected to be completed by next spring. Development started in 2006 and by 2015 most of the approvals needed for the project were granted. Eric King and Kathlene Thiel donated $500,000 towards the project, which will be named after them. King is on the Board of Directors for CSSC, which will own and operate the new apartments.
The new residences will feature a variety of housing options for seniors, including one and two bedroom apartments with bathrooms and some balconies. Sizes of the apartments differ, with the smallest one bedroom apartment at 684 square feet, and the largest at 1,045 square feet. The total site is 14 acres.
The building will be energy efficient and smoke free, with gas, heat, and hot water included. It features fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities on each floor. There will also be on-site management and services, and 24-hour on call maintenance.
A clubhouse at the facility will a feature an art gallery, a community reading room, convenience store, courtyard, fitness center, library and media center, lounge, and a transportation hub.
“BBL greatly values the mission of The Colonie Seniors. Their work is centered on providing truly affordable housing for our independent seniors in manner that enriches our entire community,” Steve Obermayer, president and CFO of BBL Charitable Foundation said.
CSSC is a non-profit organization serving seniors in Colonie.
