By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
The Carriagehouse Village Apartments complex — located on Carriagehouse Circle in Cazenovia — was completed in 1986.
The complex provides housing for seniors ages 62 and older and for disabled and/or handicap individuals, regardless of age.
On Aug. 28, the apartment complex was rededicated in honor of its founder, Angelo D. “Mac” Capozzi, and in recognition of the 2018 rehabilitation of the property.
Richard Mayfield, state director for USDA Rural Development (RD) in New York, delivered the opening remarks at the rededication ceremony in the complex’s community center.
The USDA RD Housing Program served as a major partner in both the original development of the property and the recent rehabilitation.
“We have around 13,000 units across the state that we have either totally funded or funded in partnership with state and local governments,” Mayfield said. “These projects, like everything else, have a life [expectancy], so they need to be refreshed . . . we look for existing equity in these buildings and we help to pull that equity out to help [property owners] refinance, so they can bring their facilities up to code, add new fire suppression systems, enhance handicap accessibility, add new carpeting or new roofs — [things that are] over and above normal maintenance . . .”
According to Mayfield, such projects help to ensure that the properties remain valuable assets to the community.
Mayfield expressed his gratitude toward the Capozzi family for their vision and ongoing mission to provide housing in the region.
He also thanked all of the local partners involved in the property rehabilitation project.
Following the state director’s brief remarks, members of the Capozzi family presented a plaque commemorating the rededication and reaffirming the family’s commitment to the USDA RD Housing Program.
The plaque will be mounted to a flagpole on the property.
The event was also attended by members of the USDA RD office, residents of the Carriagehouse Village Apartments, and representatives of several of the project’s local partners, including John M. Becker, chairman of the Madison County Board of Supervisors; members of the Madison County Industrial Development Agency (IDA); Ron Tascarella, vice president, commercial team leader of Pathfinder Bank; and contractors from Rich & Gardner Construction Co, Inc.
“The incentives [from] Rural Development and the cooperation of the municipality and [partners] like Rich & Gardner have helped us to create this opportunity to reinvest in the project . . .” said Rick Capozzi, son of the late Mac Capozzi.
