How H2M architects + engineers brought fresh food to Troy through adaptive reuse
For people living in food deserts, it is common to subsist on prepackaged, ultra-processed foods from convenience stores and fast-food establishments. However, these types of foods have been linked to a higher risk of a wide range of health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In fact, a 2023 study by the American Cancer Society found that people with little or no access to healthy foods have a shorter lifespan on average than those with greater levels of access.
To address these disparities, which disproportionately affect low-income Americans, developers should be incentivized to locate and operate new supermarkets within food deserts. New York City, for example, administers both the Healthy Food & Healthy Communities (HFHC) Fund and Food Retail Expansion Program to Support Health (FRESH), two programs that offer zoning and financial incentives to encourage the development of grocery stores in underserved areas.
However, in lieu of grants or other public funding sources, adaptive reuse can provide a cost-effective way to provide critical life-improving resources in dense areas with limited open space. Last year, Bargain Grocery, an affordable grocery store operated by the not-for-profit Compassion Coalition, opened its second-ever location in Troy, New York. Compassion Coalition uses the proceeds from both the new Bargain Grocery and the original location in Utica, New York, to fund its mission of providing food, clothing, transportation, and shelter to the underprivileged — raising approximately $20 million dollars in support so far.
Rather than identify a site for a ground-up building construction, the developer First Columbia Real Estate partnered with H2M architects + engineers to reuse a 15,000-square-foot cardboard manufacturing facility built in the mid-1800s. Our adaptive reuse work involved the preparation of historic surveys and architectural designs that respect the character of the edifice, including a new refrigeration area, dual-level loading docks, and an accessible path into the grocery store. The building also received electrical system upgrades, structural fortification, and a brand-new heating, ventilation, and cooling system.
By utilizing the principles of adaptive reuse and paying close attention to historic preservation guidelines, we transformed and reenergized an older but structurally-sound building into a valuable community resource with a completely new purpose. The load-bearing brick-and-timber-frame building features all-new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and technology, but retains its 19th-century aesthetic to help preserve Troy's history as a center for manufacturing. Adaptive reuse also allowed us to complete the work with less construction waste and for less money than traditional design and construction methods.
The technical ingenuity of the store's design and its impact on access to fresh food in the Troy community earned the Bargain Grocery project team a State Historic Preservation Award for Excellence in Non-Profit Achievement from the New York State Historic Preservation Office. The awards, given out annually as part of the New York Statewide Preservation Conference, recognize the most inventive and culturally significant preservation and rejuvenation projects across New York State.
Old factories, banks, schoolhouses, churches, storefronts, and municipal buildings — whether historic or not — still have plenty to offer for those willing to think outside the box and redefine what a grocery store can look like. By collaborating with architecture and engineering consultants well-versed in adaptive reuse, developers and municipalities can make the most of their unused space to transform food deserts into flourishing oases.
H2M architects + engineers is a full-service consulting and design firm offering the expertise of over 580 architects, engineers, planners, designers, inspectors, surveyors, and scientists. Our professionals combine technical experience and specialized market knowledge to meet architectural, engineering, and environmental challenges head-on. H2M offers a practical approach with creative results. For more information, visit h2m.com.
Katrina N. Pacheco, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, MCPPO, has more than 30 years of architectural design experience, including expertise in the production, evaluation, and construction administration of over 100 public safety buildings. Katrina also serves as Director of AIA's Eastern New York chapter and teaches Professional Practice at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
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