Winton Gardens Towers

Organization Name: Community Preservation Partners

Project Title: Winton Gardens Towers

Project Location: Rochester, N.Y.

Project Description:
Constructed in 1973, this 206-unit community is made up of two concrete and masonry towers, each 11 stories tall. Together, they sit on roughly two acres on East Main Street. Just recently, Community Preservation Partners (CPP) completed a $41.5 million rehabilitation on the towers, transforming them into true pillars of the surrounding community. The major renovations are symbolized by twin color-changing LED projection lights spanning the length of each tower – but it’s what happened inside that truly lit up the towers for residents and neighbors.

Community Impact:
Though they now stand proudly among CPP’s finest rehabilitations, the Winton Gardens Towers were once known as “Cedarwood Towers,” a troubled community rife with crime and drug use. When CPP acquired the property, safety was a major concern, and security was the first point to be addressed. Once residents were secure, renovations began, bringing transformative changes including:
• New roof, solar panels and energy-efficient windows
• Full modernization of elevators
• LED lighting throughout and energy-efficient appliances
• Accessibility and livability upgrades, including parking lot
• Vinyl plank flooring throughout
• New cabinets, countertops, appliances, fans and window blinds
• New toilets, kitchen sinks, faucets, disposals and accessories

Just recently, residents, neighbors and community leaders – including Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren – came to celebrate the completion of the towers’ renovations. With the community now completely removed from their once troubled past, residents and neighbors alike have expressed their joy with the rehabilitation. Residents in particular have said that, at last, they can feel proud to call the towers their home.

Organization Description:
CPP is an affordable housing rehabilitation company that owns more than 8,000 units across the United States. Its mission is to enrich lives and strengthen neighborhoods by recapitalizing, rehabilitating and preserving aging affordable housing communities. A wholly owned subsidiary of WNC & Associates, CPP provides simple, practical solutions to complex challenges facing housing authorities, nonprofits and investors.