Ruby Group completes new student housing at SCCC

The Ruby Group (TRG), a Goshen, N.Y.-based development, consulting and construction management company, met a fast-track construction schedule for new student housing at Sullivan County Community College (SCCC), and the first residents moved in late August. "We only had two or three months to complete the building and be prepared for students arriving, which was an aggressive schedule," said Howie Berman, the Ruby Group principal who supervised the SCCC project. Sullivan County Community College Dormitory Corp.'s new building is at the forefront of the new generation of student housing that is built recognizing the specific needs of the students and with a high degree of sustainability. The new townhouses resemble traditional New England homes, with porches, pitched roofs and exterior walls with clapboard siding and shingles. The building cost about $1.5 million to design and build. The Ruby Group worked with Sullivan County Community College Dormitory Corporation to enter into a cutting edge Public Private Partnership that involved TRG leasing the land on campus and being responsible for everything from municipal approvals, financing and construction to long-term management of the housing facility. The Ruby Group has contracted with Longley Jones Management to handle the property management. The EcoGreen Community Housing meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Energy Star and National Green Building Standards, and is targeting Gold level certifications in both programs. The Ruby Group has been a pioneer in building environmentally friendly housing and is one of the few construction companies in the nation that has built a home that received the top-level, Platinum LEED rating for energy efficiency and environmental sensitivity. The modules were built by Haven Custom Homes at a factory in Pennsylvania and were installed in only three days during June. A total of 18 modules are positioned atop a Superior Walls pre-cast, insulated concrete foundation system. "SCCC's new building will be very energy-efficient for decades to come," said Berman.