A big facelift is on the way for a portion of Schenectady's Hamilton Hill neighborhood.
In fact, the $20 million Hillside View housing project is being called the single largest neighborhood investment effort in the city's history.
Plans call for eight buildings to be renovated, including two old schools, Horace Mann and St. Columba (pictured) which will be transformed into apartments.
"St. Columba still has its chalk boards, and original wood," said Susan McCann, Regional Vice-President for the non-profit real estate developing firm The Community Builders. "So we're able to preserve a lot of the original architectural elements, which is exciting."
Unfortunately, McCann says the old Horace Mann building a couple of blocks away has been left more to the elements, and will require a great deal more work.
All in all, plans call for nearly 60 apartments in the area. Funding is coming from a variety of sources.
photo of St. Columba Catholic School: WGY News