42 September 2026

Fairport, NY— WinnCompanies has completed an $ 86 million, three-year renovation of Evergreen East, a historic 508-apartment affordable housing community outside Rochester. New York State Housing Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas joined company executives and government leaders on site Aug. 20 to mark the completion.

WinnCompanies CEO Gilbert Winn

The project modernized homes for nearly 2,000 residents and installed new plumbing, electrical infrastructure and HVAC systems throughout the 420,000sf complex. It also expanded resident services and amenities, created a new community building, and improved housing options for residents with disabilities.

“ This project was the largest and most extensive occupied rehab that our company has ever designed and completed, and I am proud of how our teams worked together to make it a success for the residents,” said WinnCompanies ceo Gilbert Winn.“ Thanks to this effort, we have ensured that Evergreen East will shine as a critical source of quality affordable housing for decades to come. Equally important, we have invested in the resident programs and support systems that ensure that this historic property endures as a vibrant and diverse resource.”

Formerly known as the Pines of Perinton, the community was built between 1972 and 1976 by the New York State Urban Development Corporation, to a design by modernist architecture firm Gwathmey Siegel & Associates with master planning and landscape architecture by Peter Rolland and Associates. It earned historic designation as an example of UDC’ s suburban housing program, which sought to address postwar housing shortages by producing low-density mixed-income and affordable communities outside urban centers.

WinnCompanies closed on the acquisition and recapitalization in March 2023, arranging public and private financing that protects and expands Evergreen East’ s affordability to 100 % for at least 40 years. All 508 apartments are now designated Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units for the first time in the community’ s history.

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The renovation, led by WinnDevelopment senior vice president David Ginsberg and associate vice president Lindsay Finkenstaedt, modernized the five two-story residential buildings using a block-by-block sequencing strategy that moved residents and their belongings out of small sections in phases, allowing demolition of bathrooms, kitchens and plumbing lines before full unit restoration.

Evergreen East unit kitchen

Work included gut-renovating 489 apartments. Roofs measuring two miles in length and averaging 50 feet wide were replaced, along with 2,140 windows, nearly 2,000 air conditioning sleeves and 1,090 entry doors. All plumbing lines, fixtures, outlets, electrical infrastructure, roads and sidewalks were replaced. Twenty-six units were converted to ADAaccessible housing, the first compliant apartments in the property’ s 50-year history.

“ Having an accessible apartment gives me peace of mind and reduces my anxiety about aging and potential future disabilities. One of the biggest differences since the renovation is the new windows. I love how they are easier to open and automatically lock,” said Victoria Espada, a resident of Evergreen East since 2020.“ My personal experience with my apartment has been very positive. It is well-maintained, reliable, and equipped with dependable utilities and appliances. I also enjoy that it’ s a short walk from community activities and shops.”

Nineteen apartments destroyed in a 2022 fire were rebuilt to replicate the property’ s historic design. Funding from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, local utility

Aerial of Evergreen East

Fairport Electric, and the New York Independent Energy Efficiency Program allowed the new units to be built with low-carbon mechanical systems and beyond-code envelope features that produced significant energy savings.

The complex offers studio and onebedroom flats, two-bedroom townhouses, three-bedroom flats and townhouses, and four-bedroom townhouses. New exterior security lighting, refreshed landscaping and upgraded outdoor amenities were installed across the 43-acre site. A 1,700sf management office and a dormant 2,200sf community building were reconfigured and made accessible, creating private offices and meeting space in the management building along with a gym, recreation space and computer lab. The community building hosts three nonprofits weekly and has held dozens of community events and hundreds of supportive service programs since opening in 2024.

The construction effort created 331 jobs and delivered an estimated economic impact of more than $ 64 million. People of color accounted for 40 % of the hires and nearly 52 % of the project’ s work hours, according to an analysis by Renaissance Groups of Rochester. More than $ 12.6 million in construction contracts went to Minority and Women- Owned Business Enterprises, with more than $ 7.5 million of that awarded to women-owned firms. Service-disabled veteran-owned businesses received more than $ 5.6 million.

The refinancing operating budget included enhanced funding for resident services and enabled Connected Communities, a nonprofit affiliate of WinnCompanies, to hire a full-time on-site coordinator. HUD approved the site earlier this year for a Family Self Sufficiency program, and HUD grant funding awarded to Connected Communities’ FSS Collaborative will cover part of a second full-time coordinator focused on residents’ financial, educational, job and long-term

savings goals.

Financing for the acquisition-rehab included federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, expected to generate more than $ 54.5 million in equity with Bank of America as investment partner. HCR also supported the project with $ 22.8 million in long-term permanent debt with SONYMA enhancement and $ 34.8 million in subsidy. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the National Park Service facilitated an estimated $ 17.2 million in federal historic tax credit equity and $ 14.7 million in state historic tax credit equity from Bank of America. NYSERDA and Fairport Electric provided $ 600,000 in energy funding for the fire-damaged portion of the building.

Above and below: Evergreen East interiors

The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Town of Perinton, Monroe County, the Rochester and Fairport housing authorities, and Five Star Bank played key roles in the effort.

DiMarco Constructors of Rochester served as general contractor, with The Architectural Team of Chelsea, MA as architect and BME Associates of Fairport as civil engineer and landscape architect. The Public Archaeology Lab of Massachusetts served as historic consultant. Renaissance Groups, a certified women-owned consultant based in Rochester, worked with the local community and the general contractor to provide access to construction job opportunities for local, minority and women-owned businesses.

No households were permanently displaced during the project. Property manager WinnResidential worked with relocation consultant HousingToHome of Dedham, MA, to coordinate moving households in and out of vacant transition units on site while their apartments were renovated.