Disaster struck over one year ago on Grand Avenue in the beloved Arts District in Saratoga Springs. On Jan. 23, 2008, a fire sparked by a rogue cigarette left unattended on an enclosed porch burned the over 100-year-old apartment building at 153 Grand Ave. to the ground, leaving 10 tenants without a home. Helena Frost, owner of the building and herself an artist who enjoyed spending the summer months in the city, was left to deal with the ruins.
"I lost all of my personal house possessions, furniture and some toys,"
Frost said. "I was planning on moving into one of the apartments a year
ago this May."
The building destroyed, Frost was faced with a choice - either to abandon the property, or rebuild. Abandoning the property meant Frost would lose any rental income as well as the money owed to her from the insurance company, and be left with a lingering mortgage that still needed to be paid. But rebuilding during an economic downturn would be costly, with building supplies and energy costs on the rise. Frost needed a fast and economically viable way to rebuild the property. Her solution was to bring in one of the first prefabricated modular homes into the city.
Cecil Provost, the president of Saratoga Modular Homes, was hired by Frost to help with the new design. Provost said that when residents of Saratoga first heard about the modular units he and Frost were constructing, the response was initially cynical.
"We had a couple of people in the beginning who were skeptical when they heard it was a modular home coming in. I guess they were concerned," Provost said. "A lot of people have a preconceived notion that a modular home is the same as a double-wide [trailer]."
But neither Frost nor Provost were deaf to their neighbors' concerns.
"I know first and foremost [Ms. Frost] wanted something that was going to fit in with the neighboring properties and the city," Provost said.
Frost wanted to remain as sensitive to the neighborhood as she could, taking into account the art district's long history and Victorian sensibilities. To help with the process, she hired local architect John Haynes of Mike Phinney Associates to ensure that the new building would be an asset to its community.
"John Haynes is my across-the-street neighbor, and he and I had gotten to know each other," Frost said. "So when the [apartment] burned, I wanted to use a local architect who would keep it within the feeling of the neighborhood."
In an effort to help the new home fit into its surroundings, custom trim work, gables and cupolas have all been added to the design.
"I don't think anybody who's seen the home that's there now would say anything other than it's a huge asset. We've had a great reception," Provost said.
Modular construction ended up having several other benefits as well. Because of the way they are built, modular homes tend to be one of the most environmentally friendly forms of construction available to consumers.
"Modular construction is inherently very green," Provost said, indicating that the process uses less energy, produces less waste, disturbs the site minimally, and is faster and more cost effective than traditional methods. "And our homes are typically anywhere from 10 to 20 percent more energy efficient than your conventional home," Provost said.
The result from all their efforts is a 4,500 square foot, 3 unit apartment building with two 2 bedroom, 2 ? bath units, and a smaller 1 bedroom unit in the back. With construction nearing an end, Frost and Provost hope to have the property ready for occupancy by May of this year, less then a year and a half after the original building burned down.
As for her neighbors, Frost says so far the reception has been resoundingly positive.
"Everybody that came by when I was up there was very, very positive," Frost said, who before the construction process began took a petition to each of her neighbors to ensure that they would be okay with the new building. The petition came back to her with a 100 percent approval rating.
"I just think that the nice thing was when the fire happened, I was going back and forth a lot, and I know [the sign entering the city] says health, history, and horses," Frost said. "It made me feel like Saratoga had a lot of heart. I've really fallen in love with the neighborhood."
The building destroyed, Frost was faced with a choice - either to abandon the property, or rebuild. Abandoning the property meant Frost would lose any rental income as well as the money owed to her from the insurance company, and be left with a lingering mortgage that still needed to be paid. But rebuilding during an economic downturn would be costly, with building supplies and energy costs on the rise. Frost needed a fast and economically viable way to rebuild the property. Her solution was to bring in one of the first prefabricated modular homes into the city.
Cecil Provost, the president of Saratoga Modular Homes, was hired by Frost to help with the new design. Provost said that when residents of Saratoga first heard about the modular units he and Frost were constructing, the response was initially cynical.
"We had a couple of people in the beginning who were skeptical when they heard it was a modular home coming in. I guess they were concerned," Provost said. "A lot of people have a preconceived notion that a modular home is the same as a double-wide [trailer]."
But neither Frost nor Provost were deaf to their neighbors' concerns.
"I know first and foremost [Ms. Frost] wanted something that was going to fit in with the neighboring properties and the city," Provost said.
Frost wanted to remain as sensitive to the neighborhood as she could, taking into account the art district's long history and Victorian sensibilities. To help with the process, she hired local architect John Haynes of Mike Phinney Associates to ensure that the new building would be an asset to its community.
"John Haynes is my across-the-street neighbor, and he and I had gotten to know each other," Frost said. "So when the [apartment] burned, I wanted to use a local architect who would keep it within the feeling of the neighborhood."
In an effort to help the new home fit into its surroundings, custom trim work, gables and cupolas have all been added to the design.
"I don't think anybody who's seen the home that's there now would say anything other than it's a huge asset. We've had a great reception," Provost said.
Modular construction ended up having several other benefits as well. Because of the way they are built, modular homes tend to be one of the most environmentally friendly forms of construction available to consumers.
"Modular construction is inherently very green," Provost said, indicating that the process uses less energy, produces less waste, disturbs the site minimally, and is faster and more cost effective than traditional methods. "And our homes are typically anywhere from 10 to 20 percent more energy efficient than your conventional home," Provost said.
The result from all their efforts is a 4,500 square foot, 3 unit apartment building with two 2 bedroom, 2 ? bath units, and a smaller 1 bedroom unit in the back. With construction nearing an end, Frost and Provost hope to have the property ready for occupancy by May of this year, less then a year and a half after the original building burned down.
As for her neighbors, Frost says so far the reception has been resoundingly positive.
"Everybody that came by when I was up there was very, very positive," Frost said, who before the construction process began took a petition to each of her neighbors to ensure that they would be okay with the new building. The petition came back to her with a 100 percent approval rating.
"I just think that the nice thing was when the fire happened, I was going back and forth a lot, and I know [the sign entering the city] says health, history, and horses," Frost said. "It made me feel like Saratoga had a lot of heart. I've really fallen in love with the neighborhood."
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