// Affordable Housing

Selis Manor

Association for the Blind HDFC // 2017

Photo credit: Magnusson Architecture and Planning

Olive Branch Consulting Ltd - Selis Manor

Overview

The Selis Manor project was a full gut renovation of an existing building, along with facade restoration and select exterior improvements – e.g. rooftop terrace for tenants, renovated courtyard space – and added space on the ground level for tenant services. Existing tenant amenities like the bowling alley and fitness spaces in the cellar were renovated as well.

The biggest challenge was that the building was occupied throughout the course of renovation, and the tenants were largely vision-impaired. The renovation required asbestos abatement as well, which meant phasing became more complicated with the decon units and required minimum means of egress, while having to leave a stairwell for the tenants, and expansive air monitoring. Tenants were moved out 2 floors at a time – either to apartments outside of the building in another neighborhood, or into open units elsewhere in the building whenever possible. Work that impacted still-occupied units required careful scheduling and coordination with trades.

Before

After

Details

Location

New York, NY

Client

Association for the Blind HDFC

Architect

Magnusson Architecture & Planning

General Contractor

Procida Construction Corp.

Services

Owner’s Representative

Original Budget

$37.5 Million

Construction Cost

$37.5 Million

Joe and the team at Olive Branch are great to work with! Their experience and technical knowledge are a real asset for our projects, helping to ensure quality products through strong coordination and commitment to success.
Fernando Villa AIA LEED AP BD+C // Principal, Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC

The OBC Team

This team was strategically selected for the Selis Manor project.

// Founder & President

Joseph E. Olive (Sr.)

// Vice President

Joseph R. Olive (Jr.)

// Senior Project Manager

Cecily Potouridis

// Senior Field Representative

Bob Harriman

// Founder & President

Joseph E. Olive (Sr.)

Joseph has extensive experience in a number of industries which has built a foundation for the consulting services provided. Mr. Olive graduated from Washington and Lee University (1980) with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration. Since then, Mr. Olive has worked in the public accounting sector specializing in the construction industry, managed a commercial contracting company, owned a contracting company, performed project management for an intermediate size regional commercial contractor, performed construction loan monitoring of intermediate to large construction projects in the New York City area, and is currently performing construction operations consulting/owner’s representative services in the New York City market.

Most Recent Projects

// Vice President

Joseph R. Olive (Jr.)

Joseph has experience at various levels of construction. As an employee of The Rogers Group Ltd, a family-owned construction company, Joseph started as a laborer, progressed to a carpenter, then transitioned into the office and handled various project management responsibilities including: estimating, soliciting subcontractor pricing, reviewing subcontractor proposals, and verifying work in place compared to invoices submitted by subcontractors, to mention a few. Currently, Joseph is actively involved in Owner’s Representative services for Olive Branch Consulting Ltd on multiple projects, including these current ongoing projects at: 135 West 23rd Street – an occupied rehabilitation project in Manhattan for Associated Blind/Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and at 1939 West Farms Road and 1926 Longfellow Avenue – an Affordable/Low-Income Housing Development in Bronx, NY for Shah Development/New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

Most Recent Projects

// Senior Project Manager

Cecily Potouridis

Cecily Potouridis, Senior Project Manager of Olive Branch Consulting Ltd, came to NYC from Alabama to pursue higher education. After earning a Bachelor of Arts from NYU, Cecily first worked at a restoration firm based in Long Island City. Since then, Cecily has gained extensive experience as a former project manager for a major regional construction company/developer in the affordable and supportive housing industry. This understanding of the project management process, coupled with her organization skills, adds to our ability to manage the owner’s representative role on projects in construction. In addition, Cecily assists with our pre-development services with the goal of successfully guiding a project through design development to groundbreaking. She maintains a database of current market data pricing to provide thorough assessments of construction budgets, and provides detailed reviews of proposals for additional work submitted during the course of construction.

Cecily enjoys working for the Olive Branch team, which allows her to spend much more time at home with her husband and two children.

Most Recent Projects

// Senior Field Representative

Bob Harriman

It’s not often you come across a man like Bob Harriman — passionate and hard working with an unmatched level of experience. So when this man joined the Olive Branch Consulting team in 2015, we knew we had someone truly remarkable on board.

The late Bob Harriman was our Senior Field Representative for four years. He was an experienced Site Superintendent with extensive knowledge in construction projects varying in size and complexity. He had a keen understanding of site logistics and the construction process. During his short time with us, Bob grew the business by over 50% and recruited 5 team members, as he helped to advance Olive Branch Consulting’s on-site presence and evaluation. He is greatly missed, but his legacy lives on.