Bargain Grocery Project Spotlight
Compassion Coalition, First Columbia Real Estate, H2M architects + engineers, and Bette & Cring Construction recently cut the ribbon with the help of New York State Lieutenant Governor Delgado, U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko, New York State Assemblyman John McDonald, Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello, Pastor Michael Servello, and many other local supporters for a brand-new Bargain Grocery location in Troy, NY!
Compassion Coalition, under the leadership of Pastor Servello, founded the first not-for-profit Bargain Grocery in Utica, NY, in 2002 to help fund and realize its mission of providing food, clothing, transportation, shelter, and more to the underprivileged. Bargain Grocery offers fresh, healthy produce at discounted rates, helping address the nutritional needs of communities in food deserts like West Utica where residents often lack access to nutritious, unprocessed foods. The proceeds of Bargain Grocery have accounted for roughly $20 million in services and goods that Compassion Coalition has been able to provide locally, nationally, and internationally.
The developer of the new location, First Columbia Real Estate, hired H2M architects + engineers to transform a historic 15,000-square-foot cardboard box manufacturing facility built in the mid-1800s into the modern grocery store that North Central neighborhood Troy residents will start shopping at later this summer once hiring and training are complete.
For this project, H2M’s team consisted of two project managers: Senior Architect Eric Neiler, RA, who oversaw the design and document preparation, and Troy Office Director Katrina N. Pacheco, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, MCPPO, who oversaw the permitting and construction stages, all the way through project end.
Neiler and Pacheco’s dedicated support team also included Director of Operations David J. Pacheco, AIA, who established the relationship with First Columbia; Project Designer Simon K. Mandic; Project Engineers Peter Angelone (plumbing and fire protection) and Steve Pereira (electrical); and Staff Engineer John Hayes, EIT, LEED AP BD+C, CEM (mechanical/HVAC).
H2M’s adaptive reuse work included the preparation of historic surveys and architectural designs that respect the character of the edifice, including a new refrigeration area, new dual-level loading docks, and an accessible path into the grocery store. H2M executed most of the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing engineering work, such as upgrading the electrical system, fortifying the building’s structure, and designing a new HVAC system.
“Adaptive reuse techniques and attention to historic preservation guidelines allowed us to transform an older but structurally healthy building into a valuable community resource with a completely new purpose,” said Katrina Pacheco. “By reusing this timber-frame and masonry factory building as a much-needed nutrition center and communal grocery store, we can pay homage to Troy’s manufacturing past while building its future.”
At H2M, we take great pride in all of our projects, but particularly those which have the potential to leave a positive and lasting impact on the community. We are greatly honored to have played a role in supporting Compassion Coalition and its vital mission of providing hope and the resources to succeed for those who most desperately need them.
