SARATOGA SPRINGS — Seventy-seven Van Dam Street, the historic four-story building which used to be Saratoga’s School 2, is getting a retrofit.
Julie & Co. Realty and Bonacio Construction will be transforming the interior of the building into 24 condominiums, while preserving much of the buildings historic architecture.
Julie Bonacio said that this is the first time her company is converting a building in Saratoga Springs into condos.
As part of turning 77 Van Dam into condos, she said that they are trying to keep some of the architectural detail from the original building, such as the tin ceiling details, arched doorways, large windows for natural light, vaulted ceilings in the top floor condos, nine-and-a-half foot ceilings otherwise and brick-and-mortar walls in many parts of the building.
Some of the new additions will be a hardwood floor finish in the foyer, kitchen and dining area and granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms for each condo. Additionally, various appliances will be included.
According to Bonacio, “you get a dishwasher, microwave, garbage disposal, a refrigerator and gas stove.”
Seventy-seven Van Dam was originally built in 1903 as a school, however a former student of the school said that around 1970, it had its last class, as other schools were being built and so students were splitting their time between school buildings, and eventually transitioned into the new building exclusively.
More recently, the building housed apartments in the upper floors, and several small businesses in the lower floor.
Bonacio said that “we were looking for another project. Location is everything. This building was hiding in plain sight, it was for sale, with this we also purchased next door, 91 Van Dam, it was all-inclusive. That will remain rentals, these are condos for sale.”
As for how she discovered the building in the first place, she said “so literally my husband and I were driving around and we were at the red light, and we literally looked over at the building and were like ‘oh my God, that could be a reconversion.’ It was really, literally hiding in plain sight.”
Bonacio then went through the process of securing the building, “and we closed on it at the end of last year.”
Currently, there are plans for 24 condos in the building’s four floors and a lobby area with both the building’s elevator and mail area.
The condos start at $278,600 for the 680 square-foot Unit 201 on the second floor, and go as high as $477,300 for Unit 302, 1,345 square feet, on the third floor. There is an additional monthly cost of $398 for various utilities including water, trash removal, building maintenance and snow removal.
Contracts for the condos opened lasted Monday, Sept. 30. In the following week, three of the units have already been sold. Bonacio said that occupancy would be starting in March next year.
Bonacio concluded by saying that “we will have a completed model that people can tour in December, but I want to encourage them to get them now, because we are taking contracts.” For more information, contact Julie Bonacio at 518- 701-5080, or Julie & Co. Realty at 518-350-7653.
