Breaking Ground on Sol: Troy’s First Zero-Emission Multifamily Building

Rosenblum Companies leadership team with local officials and partners at the Sol groundbreaking ceremony in Downtown Troy.

On June 24, The Rosenblum Companies hosted state and local officials, business leaders, and community dignitaries in downt0wn Troy under a blazing summer sun to celebrate the groundbreaking of Sol, our newest ground up development. The event marked the culmination of more than three years of planning, design, and collaboration!

Rendering of Sol, Troy’s first zero-emission multifamily building.

Located at 1818 5th Avenue in the heart of downtown Troy, the four-story, 55,000 square foot Sol will replace a vacant drive-through bank branch built in the 1970s. Sol’s exterior has been thoughtfully designed to harmonize with the historic brownstones prevalent in the neighborhood. However, the building’s 71 smart apartment homes along with an array of communal amenities like resident coworking space, entertainment lounge with community kitchen, pet spa, package center, and conditioned indoor bicycle storage, are designed to support a balanced modern lifestyle.

Several prevailing characteristics make Sol distinct amongst apartment buildings in the Capital Region. To address a shortage of high quality, lower cost apartments, most units in Sol are studios. Additionally, 30% of apartments will be available at rents affordable to individuals earning 65% of the area average median income for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA, including young professionals with typical entry-level salaries in regionally significant and underemployed industries. Every apartment in the building will feature full kitchens with ENERGY STAR® appliances, washer and dryer, nine-foot ceilings, large windows, and sustainable finishes.

Sol is also the City of Troy’s first all-electric, zero-emission multifamily building. Sol will utilize geothermal heat pumps for space conditioning and domestic hot water, an air-tight building envelope, continuous insulation, triple pane windows, energy recovery ventilation, and a rooftop solar PV array to achieve Phius (Passive House Institute U.S.) CORE certification. Phius certified buildings not only use an estimated 40-60% less energy than buildings that are constructed to code standards, but they are quieter, healthier and more comfortable, in part by balancing humidity, mitigating condensation that can cause mold, and providing residents with a constant supply of filtered fresh air.

Sol is a Round Three winner of the Buildings of Excellence Competition, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The project design team also received Buildings of Excellence Early Design Support funding. Buildings of Excellence recognizes and rewards the design, construction, and operation of clean, resilient, carbon neutral-ready multifamily buildings. Additional support for Sol’s high performance building systems is provided through the NYS Clean Heat Program sponsored by National Grid.

Senator Jake Ashby noted, “This project fills a critically important gap in our housing supply…That it’s a zero-emission development is a credit to The Rosenblum Companies’ ingenuity and New York State’s commitment to sustainability.”

Senator Jake Ashby speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for *Sol* in Downtown Troy

Sol’s location is an extension of its sustainable design. 1818 5th Avenue is rated a “Walkers Paradise” on the Walk Score® index because daily errands do not require a car. Residents have immediate access to local restaurants, shopping and cultural venues as well as the Hudson Riverwalk, Uncle Sam Bike Trail, Riverfront Park, and weekly Troy Waterfront Farmers Market. Two downtown college campuses, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Russell Sage College, and numerous other employers are located within walking distance. For commuters, regional bus service provided by the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) including the new BusPlus (Bus Rapid Transit) Blue Line is available at Riverfront Station, a system hub, only two blocks from the property. We are also working with CDTA to offer discounted use of its new “DRIVE” electric vehicle carshare program; a DRIVE vehicle will be stationed less than a block from Sol.

“Good development does more than activate a single property, it unleashes energy into the community,” said Jeff Mirel, Principal of The Rosenblum Companies. “Our hope is that by thoughtfully repurposing what was a vacant, blighted parcel in the heart of downtown Troy and addressing unmet housing needs while introducing a new standard for efficient, resilient, sustainable buildings, Sol will help power the city forward.”

Sol is made possible by a Restore New York grant awarded to the City of Troy. Restore New York is administered by Empire State Development and supports municipal revitalization efforts to remove blight, reinvigorate downtowns and generate new economic opportunities. An economic impact study prepared by Camoin Associates projects Sol will drive more than $2.3 million of new annual spending in the City of Troy and create over 20 new permanent jobs.

Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello called the groundbreaking “a milestone moment for Troy” and said that the project “reflects our city’s values of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability.”

Sol was designed by Reveal Architecture in Saratoga with Sustainable Comfort, Inc. (SCI) in the dual roles of Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) and NYSERDA Primary Energy Consultant (PEC), combining regional multifamily design experience with passive house expertise. Mr. Corp was previously project architect for Rosenblum’s other Troy multifamily properties, The News Apartments and Vicina – Modern Urban Flats. Aries Power, an Albany-area distributed generation development company, is the Solar PV Project Manager. Jersen Construction is the General Contractor.

Pre-leasing will begin in the spring of 2026, with move-ins starting in August 2026. Prospective residents can sign up for updates at www.sol.apartments and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.