Affordable Housing

Palladium-Simpson-Stuart

DALLAS — Locally based developer Palladium USA is nearing completion of Palladium Simpson Stuart, a $55 million, 270-unit mixed-income project in South Dallas. About 90 percent (243) of the units will be reserved for households earning between 40 and 80 percent of the area median income, while the remainder will be rented at market rates. Amenities will include a pool, dog park, walking trails, conference room, computer lab, kids’ playroom and a fitness center. HEDK is the project architect, and BBL Construction is the general contractor. PNC Bank provided construction financing for the project, and the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs issued 4 percent Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity. A grand opening ceremony will take place on Thursday, Feb. 8.

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SPRINGFIELD, ILL. — Related Midwest is underway on the renovation of Poplar Place, a 100-unit affordable housing community in Springfield. The waitlist is now open for the community, and the first rental homes are available for lease. Working with the City of Springfield and the Springfield Housing Authority, Related Midwest and general contractor LR Contracting Co. is in the process of transforming Poplar Place, which was constructed in 1950, into a modern community comprising 100 units with single-family and duplex floor plans. The $44.8 million redevelopment includes de-densifying the existing property and fully rehabbing a total of 75 buildings. Plans also call for a 2.5-acre great lawn, a new community center, playground, management office and walking paths. The affordable residences range from two to four bedrooms, with monthly rents between $800 and $925. The units are income-restricted, with qualified incomes ranging between $41,760 and $78,660 based on household size. Evan Lloyd Architects served as architect for the redevelopment.

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ATLANTA — Tribridge Residential is underway on the development of The Goat Farm, a 209-unit apartment community located in Atlanta. Situated on four acres within the 12-acre The Goat Farm arts complex, the development is a collaboration with the arts-based social enterprise of the same name. In addition to apartments in studio, one- and two-bedroom layouts, the property will feature 24,000 square feet of artist studio and exhibition space, and 32 units will be reserved as affordable housing for households earning 80 percent or less of the area median income (AMI). Amenities will include a rooftop pool, fitness center and a dog washing station. Move-ins are scheduled to begin this spring. The partnership between Tribridge and The Goat Farm will comprise additional phases, including the restoration of historic structures at the complex. 

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BETHESDA, MD. — Walker & Dunlop has been recognized as the largest Fannie Mae DUS (Delegated Underwriting and Servicing) lender by volume for last year, with $6.6 billion in multifamily originations in 2023. Additionally, Fannie Mae has named the Bethesda-based firm as the top producer for green financing and for student housing. Walker & Dunlop also took the third places amongst producers of multifamily affordable housing and as a producer for small loans. Freddie Mac also recognized Walker & Dunlop as the third biggest Optigo lender in 2023, with a volume of $4.6 billion. “With rate cuts expected in 2024, and banks and other capital sources still reluctant to lend, it is our expectation that the need for GSE [government-sponsored enterprise] capital…remains strong in the coming year,” says Willy Walker, chairman and CEO of Walker & Dunlop.

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HOUSTON — FTK Construction Services has completed $12.4 million in renovations at The Park at Kirkstall, a 240-unit affordable housing complex in North Houston. Updates to the property included enhancements to flooring, appliances, countertops, doors and cabinet hardware, as well as bathroom and light fixtures. The property’s roofing and HVAC systems were also upgraded, and the project team added a new playground and grilling patio. Benton Design Group served as the project architect. Blue Ridge Atlantic owns the building, income restrictions within which were not disclosed.

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Burbank-Boulevard-Senior-Housing-Los-Angeles-CA

LOS ANGELES — California-based TCA Architects and Mercy Housing California have completed Burbank Boulevard Senior Housing, an affordable housing development for seniors age 55 and older in Los Angeles’ Sherman Oaks neighborhood. Permanent supportive housing is a housing model that combines low-barrier affordable housing, healthcare and supportive services to help residents lead more stable lives, according to TCA Architects and Mercy Housing. Situated on three acres, Burbank Boulevard Senior Housing features 55 studio and one-bedroom units that accommodate single senior occupants. Each apartment features individual kitchens and bathing facilities. The property also offers common recreation spaces and laundry facilities on each floor. Construction began in May 2021 and the property was built in accordance with the latest Cal-Green Building Code standards. Move-ins began in October 2023, and the waitlist is currently closed for the property. The asset is aiming for at least LEED Silver certification.

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Disneyland-Christmas-Parade

ANAHEIM, CALIF. — The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) has proposed a $1.9 billion expansion of its Disneyland Resort and surrounding neighborhood in Anaheim, south of Los Angeles in Orange County. If approved, the various new projects would be carried out within 10 years of the approval date, with the potential for another $600 million in capital investment to follow. The proposal, known as DisneylandForward, calls for new attractions and hotels to be constructed on the west side of Disneyland Drive. In addition, the theme park’s operators are looking to add new shopping, dining and entertainment space to the southeast at a site that currently houses parking for the Toy Story attraction. The proposal was originally discussed with the Anaheim City Council last Thursday. According to a summary of that meeting, the proposal does not request that any new acreage, square footage or hotel rooms be developed, but rather that approved development plans be shifted onto lands that Disney already owns. As part of the proposal, Disney would invest about $85 million of its own money in various infrastructural improvements in the area, including upgrades to parking structures, roads and pedestrian bridges. To make the project possible, the City of …

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DALLAS — BWE, the commercial lender formerly known as Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital, has provided $16.8 million in Freddie Mac permanent financing for Estates at Ferguson, a 164-unit affordable seniors housing project in Dallas. The property will offer 99 one-bedroom units and 65 two-bedroom units, with the majority of residences (148) reserved for renters earning 60 percent or less of the area median income. John Killough and John Roberts of BWE originated the loan, which carries a 15-year term and a fixed interest rate. The City of Dallas HFC also issued tax-exempt bonds as part of the project’s capital stack, and The Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs provided Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity. Construction is underway and expected to last about 15 months. The sponsor was not disclosed.

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COLUMBUS, OHIO — Woda Cooper Cos. Inc. has opened Lockbourne Greene, a 60-unit affordable housing community with an onsite early learning center in Columbus. Woda developed the property at 1840 Lockbourne Road in partnership with Healthy Homes, which is affiliated with Community Development for All People and Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families Initiative. The project transformed a vacant Columbus Land Bank property. The development is available for workforce families, seniors and other general occupancy residents who earn 40 to 70 percent of the area median income, or roughly $39,680 to $69,440 annually for a family of four. Rents range from $760 to $999 per month, depending on income category and size of unit. The three-story, 71,000-square-foot building includes 12 one-bedroom, 40 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom apartments. Five units offer features for people with disabilities. Community amenities include an onsite management office, resident fitness center and community room. Financing for the $16 million project came from a diverse mix of public, private and nonprofit sources. Equity financing was made possible through the allocation of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits via the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. Bank of America invested $7.3 million in the tax credits and supplied a construction …

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MIAMI — SG Holdings has completed leasing at Sawyer’s Walk, a 3.4-acre mixed-use development underway in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood. The project, which will feature retail space, offices and affordable housing for seniors, is set to open this summer. SG Holdings is a partnership comprising Swerdlow Group, SJM Partners and Alben Duffie. The development team broke ground on Sawyer’s Walk in summer 2021. The development costs were not disclosed, but the Miami Herald reported the price tag hovers around $350 million. “The anticipated delivery of our mixed-use development will serve as an economic catalyst for Overtown, with the creation of over 1,000 quality jobs, the opening of a new full-service supermarket and mix of national retail stores that will serve the immediate community and surrounding neighborhoods,” says Michael Swerdlow, managing partner of Swerdlow Group. Sawyer’s Walk will feature 175,000 square feet of retail space. Committed tenants include Target (50,000 square feet), Aldi (25,000 square feet), Ross Dress for Less, Five Below, Tropical Smoothie Café and Burlington. MSC Group, a global cargo ship line and the world’s third-largest cruise line, purchased the property’s 130,000 square feet of office space with plans to combine its South Florida cruise and cargo operations under one roof. …

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