MINNEAPOLIS — Lupe Development Partners and Wall Cos. are moving forward with the development of Snelling Yards, a campus of both senior living and affordable housing. The latest plans call for a 90-unit affordable housing community with mostly three- and four-bedroom units. The project is a joint venture with Ecumen, whose adjacent affordable seniors housing development, The Hillock, is now fully leased. Once the affordable housing building is completed, the two properties will be joined by a green common space and outdoor playground. Lupe and Wall received $900,000 in funding through Hennepin County’s Affordable Housing Incentive Fund. The project site is a former City of Minneapolis Public Works storage area. Construction is expected to begin next year.
Affordable Housing
ROCHESTER, MINN. — Kraus-Anderson has completed construction of Bryk on Broadway, a 180-unit affordable housing community in Rochester’s Destination Medical Center (DMC) district. Local developers, led by Dirk Erickson, own the property. Designed by ISG architects, the project features 7,500 square feet of commercial and retail space on the ground floor as well as 140 climate-controlled parking stalls. Of the 180 units, 54 are restricted to those who earn up to 50 percent of the area median income (AMI), 18 are restricted at 60 percent of AMI and 108 are reserved for 80 percent of AMI. The top floor features a speakeasy-inspired lounge with views of the city. Amenities include a fitness center, storage units, bike storage and landscaped areas. In 2021, the Rochester City Council approved $2.2 million in tax-increment financing to help with project costs. The developers also received $2.2 million in DMC infrastructure funds in the form of a forgivable loan.
Ability Housing to Develop 92-Unit Affordable Housing Community in St. Augustine, Florida
by John Nelson
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. — Ability Housing has announced plans for Villages of New Augustine, a 92-unit affordable housing community to be located at the intersection of North Volusia and Chapin streets in St. Augustine. Upon completion, the development will feature 20 one-bedroom, 36 two-bedroom and 36 three-bedroom apartments across four buildings. Rental prices will be determined by household income, with 80 percent of units reserved for residents earning 60 percent of area median income (AMI) or less and 10 percent each available for residents earning at or below 33 and 50 percent of AMI thresholds. Amenities at the property will include a community center with a computer lab, library and flexible workspaces and a playground, pavilion, 149 parking spaces and a dedicated walking trail. Construction on the $25 million project is scheduled to begin this summer. Funding has been secured through state, local and private sources including the Florida Housing Corp., the National Equity Fund and Bank of America.
NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between locally based developer Slate Property Group and nonprofit RiseBoro Community Partnership has begun construction on a $146 million affordable housing project in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn. The unit mix will consist of 130 supportive housing residences for formerly homeless young adults and families; 34 residences that will be reserved for renters earning 60 percent or less of the area median income (AMI); 51 apartments that will be restricted for households earning 50 percent or less of AMI; and one superintendent’s unit. Units will come in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, and the building will also house a 3,800-square-foot community center and 1,600 square feet of ground-floor retail space, as well as a fitness center, rooftop terrace, classroom spaces, children’s play area and a community room. Aufgang Architects designed the project, and SD Builders & Construction is serving as the general contractor. Completion is slated for summer 2025.
SOMERVILLE, MASS. — The Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) has broken ground on Phase I of Clarendon Hill, a multifamily redevelopment project in the northern Boston suburb of Somerville that will add 168 affordable housing units to the local supply. The entire development, which is located on Powder House Boulevard, will ultimately consist of 591 units. Phase I will feature 41 one-bedroom apartments, 121 two-bedroom residences and six three-bedroom units that will be reserved for residents earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income. Bank of America provided construction financing for the project, which is being developed in partnership with the Somerville Community Corp. and the Somerville Housing Authority. Phase I is slated for a fall 2024 completion. Clarendon Hill was originally built in 1948 as a residence for veterans returning from WWII. MassHousing also provided financing to fund renovations and preserve the property’s affordability status.
DALLAS — FTK Construction Services has completed the $19 million rehabilitation of Fairway Village Apartments, a 250-unit affordable housing complex in Dallas that was originally built in 1969. Benton Design Group served as the project architect, and KeyBank provided construction financing. A partnership between Denver-based investment firm Monroe Group and Steele Properties owns Fairway Village. Exterior renovations included new roofs, paint, parking lot pavement, sidewalks and perimeter fencing. Infrastructural upgrades targeted the heating and air conditioning systems, as well as the plumbing and electrical systems. Interior improvements involved updating kitchens with new appliances, cabinets and countertops; enhancing bathrooms with new vanities, toilets and tub surrounds; and adding new flooring, interior doors, windows and fixtures. Lastly, the project team delivered a new community building with a kitchen, computer lab, playground and pavilion and also renovated the leasing and management office.
NEW YORK CITY — Locally based brokerage firm Ariel Property Advisors has arranged the $150 million sale of the Sea Park Affordable Housing Portfolio, a collection of three mixed-income residential properties totaling 818 units on Brooklyn’s Coney Island. Victor Sozio, Shimon Shkury, Benjamin Vago and Remi Mandell of Ariel Property Advisors represented the seller, Arker Cos., in the transaction. The buyer was a partnership between Tredway, Gilbane Development Co. and ELH Management. The sale included a 89,357-square-foot parcel that can support 153 units of new development.
NEW YORK CITY — Douglaston Development has started construction of a $320 million multifamily project in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The 474,000-square-foot development is located at 1057 Atlantic Ave. in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Upon completion, the community will rise 17 stories and offer 456 units of mixed-income housing. The units, 137 of which will be affordable housing, will be offered in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations. A partnership between BEB Capital and Totem began assembling the site in 2019. Douglaston recently acquired the site for $66 million from the partnership, retaining both parties as co-developers for the project. TerraCRG brokered the transaction. Shared amenities will include a fitness center, lounge, golf simulator, game room, screening room, children’s playroom and a landscaped rooftop deck with views of Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline. In addition to the residential portion of the community, the development will also feature 31,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Greystone Capital Advisors arranged funding for the project, which includes $185 million in construction financing placed through Wells Fargo Bank, M&T Bank and BankUnited. Funds managed by Ares Real Estate have also acquired preferred interest in the development, which is slated for completion in late 2025. New …
WAIKOLOA, HAWAII — Waikoloa Vacation Rentals has released plans for Ho’omalu at Waikoloa Beach Resort, a 229-unit affordable community in Waikoloa, located on the western portion of the “big island” of Hawaii. Ho’omalu at Waikoloa Beach will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, as well as amenities such as a day care, pool, fitness center, barbeque area and community center. The community will be available to households earning between 30 and 100 percent of the area median income. The project is listed on the county of Hawaii’s website as being currently under development, and Waikoloa Vacation Rentals plans to break ground before the end of 2024.
HOUSTON — The NHP Foundation, a nonprofit owner-operator based in New York City, has opened The Citadel at Elgin, a 74-unit affordable housing complex in Houston’s historic Third Ward. Residences come in studio and one-bedroom floor plans and are reserved for renters age 55 and above who earn between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income. Units are furnished with stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and in-unit washers and dryers. Amenities include a multi-purpose room, courtyard and outdoor grilling and dining stations. Houston-based nonprofit Change Happens CDC manages the property.