ORLANDO, FLA. — Universal Parks & Resorts has selected Wendover Housing Partners to design, build and manage an affordable housing community planned in Orlando. The project will be situated near the International Drive corridor, an area identified as high priority by Orange County’s Housing for All Task Force. Universal Creative, a division within Universal Parks & Resorts, will work with Wendover Housing on the overall plan for the new community. A Universal selection committee chose Wendover Housing from five finalists whittled down from 17 developers that submitted initial proposals. Wendover Housing, based in nearby Altamonte Springs, Fla., will help with creating Universal’s vision for affordable housing on the 20-acre site. The community will include 1,000 apartments, as well as 16,000 square feet of retail space. The development will have at least 75 percent of its apartments be dedicated to affordable housing. Construction is expected to begin in late 2022. Ownership of the site has been transferred from Universal to a not-for-profit established by the company called Housing for Tomorrow whose role is to oversee the initiative. The organization will retain ownership of the site and serve as master developer, entering into a 55-year ground lease with Wendover Housing. Housing for …
Affordable Housing
NEW YORK CITY — A joint venture between development and investment firm Olshan Properties and New York City-based O’Connor Capital Partners has broken ground on Parkchester Gardens, a 221-unit affordable senior living project in the Parkchester area of The Bronx. Units will be reserved for renters earning 50 percent or less of the area median income. Wells Fargo is financing the project in conjunction with the New York City Housing Development Corp. and the Department of Housing Preservation & Development. Completion is slated for the middle of 2023.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Feldman Ruel Urban Property Advisors has arranged the $4.2 million sale of 4618 14th Street NW, a 25,153-square-foot development site located directly across the street from WMATA’s planned redevelopment of the Northern Bus Garage in Washington, D.C. Heleos, a Washington, D.C.-based affordable housing developer, bought the site in partnership with a local performing arts nonprofit. Josh Feldman and Ian Ruel of Feldman Ruel marketed the property on behalf of the seller, Raymar Corp., which had controlled the property since 1964. The sale represents the final parcel in Raymar’s portfolio. The new ownership plans to construct 99 multifamily units at the site, with 66 of those units set aside for residents making up to 60 percent of the area median income (AMI) and approximately 20 three-bedroom units designed for families. The new owners also plan to include solar panels in an effort to make the project a net-zero energy building. The site currently includes a commercial property leased to a local furniture store on the first level and a dance studio on part of the second level. The project will be branded as Dance Loft at 14th and will include up to 16,000 square feet of ground-floor retail …
Mile High, Brinshore Break Ground on 103-Unit Affordable Multifamily Project in Denver’s Capitol Hill
by Amy Works
DENVER — Denver-based Mile High Development and Chicago-based Brinshore Development, as co-developers, have broken ground on Capitol Square Apartments, an affordable multifamily community in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Completion is slated for 2022. Designed by KTGY, the six-story property will feature 103 income-restricted apartments, with 73 one-bedroom units and 30 two-bedroom units. A U-shaped building design opens the interior units and courtyard to views of the Denver Art Museum and mountains. All apartments will be income-restricted to households earning 40 percent to 80 percent of the area median income. Community amenities will include a leasing office, community space, fitness room and a second-floor outdoor terrace. Additionally, the property will feature parking for 68 vehicles at the ground and basement levels. The city and county of Denver provided $1.5 million in financing from the Affordable Housing Fund toward the $33.9 million project. The development also received public finance funds from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Additionally, the Colorado Housing & Finance Authority provided 4 percent federal and state tax credits and is issuing the bonds for the building.
ATLANTA — Berkadia has secured $11 million in financing for the development of Intrada Westside, a 143-unit affordable housing property in Atlanta. Carolyn Whatley, Lloyd Griffin and Frank Brown of Berkadia secured financing on behalf of the developer, Missouri-based Vecino Group. The $11 million forward commitment for permanent financing through Fannie Mae’s MTEB Program features a 15-year term with a 35-year amortization schedule. The property is planned to be constructed over a period of 18 months. Located in Grove Park, the Intrada Westside site offers access to Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway Northwest, which connects the primary area to downtown Atlanta. Amenities will include a leasing center that includes spaces for a fitness and business center, as well as a central laundry room, elevators, a playground, picnic and outdoor seating areas. The development also has 9,000 square feet of retail space. Intrada Westside’s site is in a Qualified Census Tract, Opportunity Zone and the Hollowell Tax Allocation District. The affordable restrictions will accommodate families who earn 50, 60 and 80 percent of area median income (AMI) and 25 units will receive project-based rent subsidy designated for homeless youth between the ages of 18 and 24. Vecino Group helped bring together the …
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Florida-based Housing Trust Group (HTG) will develop Park Tower, a 90-unit mixed-income community in Fort Worth that is valued at $22 million. HTG is developing the property in partnership with the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs. The property’s 78 income-restricted units will be reserved for households earning less than 30, 50, and 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), while the other 12 units will be rented at market rental rates. Residences will features one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans and will be furnished with quartz countertops, wood-style flooring and washer and dryer connections. Communal amenities will include a clubhouse/community room, business center/computer lab, fitness center, a courtyard and onsite laundry facilities. The design team includes San Antonio-based Overland Partners Architecture and Urban Design. Construction is scheduled to begin in February 2022 and to be complete by late 2023. Monthly rents at Park Tower will range from $400 to $2,000.
CHESAPEAKE, VA. — Standard Communities, the affordable housing division of Standard Cos., has acquired Chesapeake Crossing, a 597-unit, mixed-income seniors housing community in Chesapeake. The property is located at 1921 Robert Hall Blvd., near the coast and the North Carolina border. Standard worked with NorthMarq in coordinating this transaction. The total capitalization was about $68 million, which includes renovation and other costs. The seller was not disclosed. Standard is rebranding the property as Starling Village and plans to invest $7.5 millions in renovations that include modernization upgrades to individual units, common areas, parking, leasing office and courtyards, as well as the fire and safety systems. Standard has acquired over 3,000 units in the Mid-Atlantic region, including approximately 1,500 in Virginia, according to Scott Alter, principal and co-founder of Standard Communities. The firm’s most recent acquisition in Virginia was The Commons at Princess Anne, a 186-unit seniors housing community in Virginia Beach.
MAYWOOD, ILL. — Interfaith Housing Development Corp. has opened Fifth Avenue Apartments in Maywood, a western suburb of Chicago. The 72-unit affordable housing project is situated at 800 S. 5th Ave., a site purchased from the Village of Maywood in 2019. A 5,500-square-foot retail space on the ground floor is slated for grocery store use. Of the apartment units, 19 are set aside for special needs populations, eight for homeless veterans and 11 for residents from the Illinois State Referral Network. The building’s first occupants are being selected based on their ability to meet the federal income criteria for affordable housing programs. Maintaining its affordability status for a minimum of 40 years, the five-story development will provide housing for households at or below 60 percent of the area median income. HED was the project architect and McShane Construction Co. was the general contractor. Additional project team members include SITE Design for landscape architecture and Ericksson Engineering for civil engineering. Interfaith Management Services will serve as property manager. Financial partners for the project included Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Cook County Department of Planning and Development, the Richman Group Affordable Housing Corp. and Bank of America. The Chicago Community Loan Fund …
Cordish Cos. to Break Ground on Two Multifamily Developments in Kansas City’s Power & Light District
by Katie Sloan
KANSAS CITY, MO. — The Cordish Cos. has announced plans to break ground on two multifamily developments in Kansas City’s Power & Light District. Projects include Three Light Luxury Apartments, a $140 million, 26-story tower set to offer 288 units at the corner of Truman Road and Main Street; and Midland Lofts, a repositioning of the historic Midland office building to offer 139 affordable housing units. Three Light Luxury Apartments will feature 19 floors of studio, one- and two-bedroom units alongside penthouse-style apartments; a seven-story garage with 472 parking spaces; and 7,600 square feet of ground-floor retail. Amenities are set to include a deck overlooking 14th Street, an infinity pool, bar, demonstration kitchen, theater room and a sky bridge above Walnut Street linking to the company’s Two Light multifamily community, allowing residents of both towers to share building amenities. The groundbreaking for the project to be built by JE Dunn Construction is scheduled to take place this May, with completion slated for May 2023. The Midland office building has been vacant for more than 20 years. Following renovations, Midland Lofts will offer a mix of studio and one-bedroom units with rents starting at $700 per-month. Amenities will include a coffee …
CHICAGO — James McHugh Construction Co. and Brown & Momen Inc. have broken ground on 508 Pershing at Oakwood Shores, a 53-unit mixed-income development in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. As part of a public-private partnership led by The Community Builders, the residential and retail building marks the latest phase of the larger Oakwood Shores project, which will span more than 100 acres. Located at 508 E. Pershing Road, the four-story building will include 50 one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom units. There will be 7,000 square feet of amenity space and management offices as well as 3,500 square feet of street-level retail space. Completion of the $17.1 million project is slated for February 2022. Nia Architects and Antunovich Associates are the architects. Of the 53 units, 36 will be low-income housing tax credit units for households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. The remaining 17 units will be market rate. National Affordable Housing Trust provided project funding in partnership with investor UnitedHealth Group. The project is situated on land formerly occupied by the Chicago Housing Authority’s Ida B. Wells, Madden Park and Clarence Darrow Homes. All told, Oakwood Shores will be home to more than 2,000 rental and …