Development Revitalizes Business Park With Family Housing

The Eastman Reserve is a 187-unit mixed-income and mixed-use development that’s helping lead the revitalization of the Eastman Business Park in Rochester, New York.

The new development replaces a blighted parking lot that served the business campus owned by the Eastman Kodak Co., which began manufacturing film on the site more than a century ago. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and began shrinking its operations. As part of a larger plan to revive the business park, PathStone Corp. purchased part of the site and rezoned five parcels.

An Enterprise Green Communities-certified development, The Eastman Reserve features 81 one-, 73 two-, and 33 three-bedroom units for residents earning between 50% and 120% of the area median income. To create a neighborhood environment, PathStone developed 17 buildings, including townhouses, single-family homes, and a low-rise multifamily building.

With support from the state’s Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, 27 units target youths and young adults. These residents have an array of supportive services managed by a full-time case manager.

The Eastman Reserve’s commercial tenant is a day care center to serve residents and other families who work in the area. A number of manufacturing buildings in the business park are undergoing commercial redevelopment, and the campus now supports nearly 100 companies. A theater and other amenities are also planned.

“Our intent was to develop workforce housing where residents can live, work, and play,” says Amy Casciani, senior vice president of real estate development at PathStone.

A $53 million low-income housing tax credit development, The Eastman Reserve is an important step in bringing even more businesses and people to the site.