Maria Regina Gardens - Coming Soon!

Project Overview

The 7.5-acre property at 2500 Grant Boulevard in North Syracuse is a historic campus featuring four primary buildings and several ancillary structures constructed between the 1920s and 1970s. Originally established by the Sisters of Saint Francis as the Convent of St. Anthony, the campus has served the community under several names over the decades, including Maria Regina College, Franciscan Academy, Wilson Care Center, and the Gingerbread School. Today, Pennrose and Home Leasing are partnering to transform this long-vacant site into a vibrant, mixed-income, mixed-use community that honors its history while meeting current community needs.

Maria Regina Gardens will involve the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of three historic buildings to create high-quality, affordable housing for seniors aged 62 and older, including the former Franciscan Academy (1959), the Convent School (1927) and its 1962 library addition, and the Novitiate and Sisters’ Wings (1959). Together, these buildings comprise approximately 193,000 square feet and will be transformed into 156 thoughtfully designed studio and one-bedroom apartments. Residents will have access to a range of amenities, including community and lounge spaces, fitness centers, secure storage, and fully accessible units, along with modern safety features such as cameras, key fob access, on-site management, and 24/7 emergency maintenance. The redevelopment will preserve the campus’s historic character while meeting strict preservation standards to leverage historic tax credits, alongside significant energy efficiency upgrades including enhanced insulation and a geothermal heating and cooling system.

The community will offer 24 studio apartments and 132 one-bedroom apartments to households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income. Supportive services will be provided through partnerships with local organizations, including AccessCNY, which will serve 12 seniors with developmental disabilities and operate an adaptive equipment lending library for both residents and the broader community, and Nascentia Health, which will support 24 frail senior households through an ESSHI award. In addition, the Syracuse Housing Authority has committed 60 project-based vouchers to support long-term affordability.

The total development cost is estimated at more than $111 million, with funding from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, Onondaga County, the City of Syracuse, and tax credit equity through Red Stone Equity Partners. The development team anticipates closing on construction financing in June 2026, with Hueber Breuer serving as general contractor and an expected construction duration of approximately 30 months. As part of the project, the historic chapel and approximately two acres at the southwestern portion of the site will be subdivided and conveyed to the Syracuse Land Bank, with plans for a future second phase of redevelopment led by Pennrose.