MOUNT PROSPECT, ILL. — Standard Communities has led a public-private partnership that acquired Huntington Towers in Mount Prospect for an undisclosed price. The transaction preserves affordability for the 214-unit senior living community for the next 30 years. The total capitalization of the transaction is approximately $74.9 million, including $16.1 million in planned renovations. Standard completed the acquisition in partnership with the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Located at 551-571 W. Huntington Commons Road, Huntington Towers was built in 1978. Planned renovations include new flooring, kitchen cabinet hardware, countertops, ranges, refrigerators, microwaves and toilets. Light fixtures will be replaced, hallways will be painted and new carpet will be installed. New amenities will include a fitness center and business center. A new rooftop solar system will reduce the property’s carbon footprint by more than 215 tons of carbon dioxide per year. A resident services coordinator will be added to the staff.
Affordable Housing
Woda Cooper, Housing Services Alliance Open Affordable Seniors Housing Community in Walton, Kentucky
by John Nelson
WALTON, KY. — Affordable housing developer Woda Cooper Cos. Inc. and Housing Services Alliance have opened Haven Crossing, an affordable seniors housing community in Walton, approximately 20 miles south of Cincinnati. Haven Crossing is a three-story, elevator-served building that provides 33 one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units. It is restricted to residents age 55 and over earning 30 percent to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). Project partners included Kentucky Housing Corp., Boone County, City of Walton, Marble Cliff Capital and First Financial Bank. Primary financing for the $13.2 million property was supported through the allocation of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity by Kentucky Housing Corp. Marble Cliff Capital invested in the tax credits to provide equity financing. First Financial Bank invested in the project via MCC, and provided the construction loan. Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust is providing permanent debt for the project. Other partners on the project included Grimm Architecture, Chadan Engineering Inc. and Woda Construction Inc. Woda Management & Real Estate will handle leasing and management.
KeyBank Provides $12.5M Construction Loan for Three Sisters Affordable Housing Development in Las Cruces, New Mexico
by Amy Works
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) has provided a $12.5 million construction loan for the development of The Three Sisters, an affordable apartment property in Las Cruces. The borrower, Chelsea Investment Corp., is an affordable housing developer in California and New Mexico. The Three Sisters will consist of eight two- and three-story residential buildings offering a total of 70 units for families and individuals earning no more than 30 percent, 50 percent and 60 percent of the area median income. The community features one-, two- and three-bedroom units, a community space, laundry room, computer center, barbecue and picnic area, dog park and two playgrounds. Additional amenities include comprehensive social services, such as group training, outreach and bi-monthly health and nutrition education classes. The project received additional support from The Richmond Group, which provided $11.9 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, as well as a $1.9 million permanent loan from the Rocky Mountain Community Reinvestment Corp. The Three Sisters also received funding from the city, state, the HOME Investment Partnership Program and the National Housing Trust Fund. Matthew Haas of KeyBank CDLI structured the financing.
OHIO, INDIANA AND TENNESSEE — Lument has provided four loans totaling $11.5 million on behalf of United Church Homes, a nonprofit that has developed more than 2,700 residential units and specializes in affordable and mixed-income apartment communities. Paul Weissman and Andy Nicoll of Lument originated the FHA Section 223(f) loans. The four loans include $1.8 million for Pickfair Square, a 33-unit property in Pickerington, Ohio; $4.8 million for Salem Manor, an 84-unit property in Fort Wayne, Ind.; $2.3 million for Fox Hollow, a 40-unit community in Covington, Tennessee; and $2.5 million for Canal Village, a 45-unit asset in Canal Winchester, Ohio. Loan proceeds enable the borrower to make significant repairs to the units.
CHICAGO — The NHP Foundation (NHPF) has opened Covent Apartments, a project that involved the redevelopment of Covent Hotel, a single-room occupancy (SRO) property in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The 30-unit affordable housing property marks NHPF’s second SRO property in Chicago. SRO housing is defined as a residential property that includes multiple single-room dwelling units, according to HUD. Each unit is for occupancy by a single eligible individual. The total development cost was $21.6 million, including $7.9 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and historic tax credits, $5 million of City Home and Affordable Housing Opportunity Funds, $3.1 million in Illinois Housing Development Authority Permanent Supportive Housing Funds and $4.9 million from a HUD/FHA loan. The project also received a $698,910 Affordable Housing Program General Fund grant from FHLBank Chicago. The Chicago Housing Authority contributed 30 project-based vouchers for the property. In addition to the 30 units, Covent features onsite laundry facilities, a community room and an outdoor space. The property also includes three retail spaces totaling 4,700 square feet. Linn-Mathes was the general contractor, and Weese, Langley, Weese served as architect. R4 Capital was the tax credit investor and Merchants Capital was the lender.
SAVANNAH, GA. — CBRE has provided a $27.7 million acquisition loan for Canvas at Savannah, a 300-unit, garden-style affordable housing community located at 5110 Garrard Ave. in Savannah. Blake Cohen of CBRE’s Atlanta office originated the Freddie Mac loan on behalf of the borrower, Miami-based One Real Estate Investment. The seller was not disclosed. Built in 2003 and recently renovated, Canvas at Savannah features one-, two- and three-bedroom units averaging a little more than 1,000 square feet in size. Amenities include a fitness center, coffee bar, package lockers and a resort-style swimming pool.
FORT WAYNE, IND. — Merchants Capital has provided $17.4 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity financing for the construction of Reserve on Park Place, an affordable seniors housing community in Fort Wayne. Brown Capital Group, Leo Brown Group and Rogers Development Group are developing the 187-unit property. Restricted to seniors age 55 and older, the three-story community will feature 15 studios, 136 one-bedroom units and 36 two-bedroom units for residents earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. The units are designed to support senior and special needs with features such as handrails, grab bars, intercoms, limited access and video surveillance. Completion is slated for April 2025.
CHICAGO — The NHP Foundation (NHPF) has completed a major renovation of the Edwin C. Berry Manor Apartments in Chicago. The Section 8 seniors housing property is located at 737 E. 69th St. The rehabilitation project was made possible by a financial partnership between HUD, Merchants Capital, Illinois Housing Development Authority, National Affordable Housing Trust and UnitedHealth Group. The 57-unit community, built in 1991, marks the fourth property that NHPF has acquired or built in Chicago in the last five years and the first specifically for seniors. The units are fully leased. The project team included Weese Langley Weese, Burling Builders Inc., Solis Construction and baso ltd. Operation Pathways, a subsidiary of NHPF, will provide social and enrichment services to the residents. An onsite resident services coordinator will work with residents to support aging well in their independent living spaces.
HOLYOKE, MASS. — WinnDevelopment has broken ground on a $55.3 million affordable seniors housing project in the western Massachusetts city of Holyoke. The project will convert a historic mill complex into 88 affordable apartment homes for seniors ages 55 and older. The redevelopment of the Appleton Mill property in downtown Holyoke will create new loft-style apartments in three interconnected, 111-year-old industrial buildings that were once home to the Farr Alpaca Co. and have been vacant for decades. In addition, WinnDevelopment will construct a new community building and connect it to the residential space via a closed skybridge spanning nearby railroad tracks. All 88 apartments will be reserved for low- and moderate-income seniors, with 12 units reserved for households earning below 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), 63 for those below 60 percent of AMI, and 13 for households below 80 percent of AMI. Delivery is slated for spring 2025.
WINDSOR, MASS. — MassHousing has provided $7.5 million in financing for Prospect Estates, a 25-unit multifamily property located in the western Massachusetts community of Windsor. The borrower, Affordable Housing & Services Collaborative, will use the proceeds to acquire and renovate the property. NEI General Contracting will handle renovations, which will include upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms, as well as building systems and exterior components. The development team will also preserve historic elements of the original structures, such as windows and wood flooring, and add a management office.