SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — GSI has opened The Parkwood, a 133-unit active adult community in Sioux Falls near both the Iowa and Minnesota borders. GSI began preleasing units at The Parkwood in 2023. GSI and its stakeholder team serve as The Parkwood’s developer, property manager and co-owners in partnership with financial partners. GSI is an affiliate of Transforming Age, a national nonprofit organization serving older adults. Omaha-based Ronco Construction was the general contractor.
There are a common set of headwinds — such as high construction costs and interest rates — facing the commercial real estate industry at large. But affordable housing development and operations also come with a unique set of challenges all their own. Despite this, panelists at the InterFace Affordable Housing Southeast conference, held May 9 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, expressed an optimistic outlook for the sector. Closing out the day’s events, speakers on the “Southeast Regional Housing Authorities & Legal Update” panel shared strategies for surviving within the current affordable housing landscape and highlighted the importance of planning ahead to succeed in the sector. The devil’s in the details Most crucial to navigating the sometimes tumultuous waters of affordable housing is engaging in thorough — even painstaking — preparation, concurred each of the panelists. This is especially true given the current macroeconomic climate and its difficulties. When asked how her organization confronts these challenges, Yvonda Bean, chief executive officer with Columbia Housing, identified an emphasis on facilitating communication within the project team for planning purposes. More specifically, Bean reported that Columbia Housing connects the “general contractor with the architect to work on design plans” early on, such that when …
TAMPA, FLA. — A public-private partnership between Related Urban Development Group, the Tampa Housing Authority and the City of Tampa has broken ground on Gallery at Rome Yards, an 11-story mixed-income housing project located south of Columbus Drive between Rome Avenue and the Hillsborough River. Eighty percent of the property’s 234 units will be reserved as affordable and workforce housing while the remaining 20 percent will be market-rate apartment homes. Additionally, five apartments on the ground level will be designated as live/work units designed with local artists and entrepreneurs in mind, complete with a storefronts and working areas. Amenities will include a fitness center, walking path with distance markers, workspace for students and remote workers, communal club room, dog park with a nearby dog wash area, ground-floor retail space and a workforce training/small business success center. Related Urban expects to complete Gallery at Rome Yards in December 2026. The property represents Phase I of the Rome Yards master plan, which is the redevelopment of a vacant 18-acre maintenance yard into nearly 1,000 apartments and 33,604 square feet of commercial space.
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Locally based developer The Hampshire Cos. has sold Max on Morris, an 85-unit apartment complex located in the Northern New Jersey community of Morristown. Completed in 2023, Max on Morris offers studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include an entertainment lounge, break room and an outdoor amenity deck with grilling stations. The property also houses four affordable housing units and 14 supportive housing units designed for residents with special needs. Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller and the private buyer in the deal.
SAN DIEGO — Simon has announced plans for the development of a new mixed-use project at its Fashion Valley shopping center in San Diego. Upon completion, the redevelopment project will add 100,000 square feet of new retail space to the center, as well as new restaurants and an 850-unit, AMLI-branded apartment community. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2025, with completion anticipated in late 2026. Fashion Valley recently underwent a multimillion-dollar capital improvement program and added brands Dior, Bottega Veneta, David Yurman and Dolce & Gabbana. New tenants Celine, Christian Louboutin and Fendi have also signed leases at the property.
BELLEVUE, WASH. — Koelsch Communities has neared completion of Belle Harbour, a seniors housing community in Bellevue, a suburb of Seattle. The developer expects to open the $93 million project this summer. The campus comprises The Park at Belle Harbour, an assisted living community, and The Inn at Belle Harbour, a dedicated memory care community. Encompassing nearly three acres, the boutique campus features 145 suites across both buildings, with the assisted living community containing 73 private studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. The memory care building has 72 suites ranging from private to shared and “neighborhood” options. The new campus follows the recent completion of University Village, a Koelsch community in Vancouver, approximately 180 miles south in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. The $112 million development encompasses 13 acres and features 136 suites in its independent living community, The Park at University Village, and 101 suites in its assisted living community, The Inn at University Village. Additionally, The Park has 26 cottages comprised of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes. Resident move-ins began in late 2023 and the campus is currently more than 50 percent occupied. Koelsch Construction served as general contractor for both developments, with Shearer Construction as a partner on …
SANTA CRUZ, CALIF. — A public-private partnership between The University of California (UC) Santa Cruz and Redtree Partners is set to break ground on a residence hall development. Santa Cruz is located in the Central Coast region. The community will be located on Delaware Avenue and will offer 400 beds for upper-division undergraduate students, along with units for 60 university employees. The student housing portion of the project will offer rents priced at 20 percent below market rate and the employee housing will be priced at approximately 5 percent below market rate. Seven employee units will meet the city’s affordable housing designation, and another 12 units will be available to moderate-income employees. The university will lease the units from owner and developer Redtree Partners upon completion. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer with completion planned for fall 2026.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — A joint venture between BH Group, PEBB Enterprises and Related Group is set to begin the mixed-use redevelopment of The Quay shopping center in the Harbordale neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. The joint venture recently acquired the 73,000-square-foot center for $48.5 million. Located at 1515 SE 17th St., the property currently features restaurants, retail space, a marina and a two-story office building. Redevelopment plans for the seven-acre site include the addition of up to 361 residential units and 12,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The existing property will also undergo improvements that align with the new development. Amerant Bank provided financing for the acquisition of the property. The transaction closed on May 22. A timeline for the project was not announced, but additional details are expected to be released over the coming months. This development marks the third joint venture between BH Group, PEBB Enterprises and Related Group. The companies are also partnering on a major mixed-use redevelopment at 6600 North Military Trail, formerly an Office Depot headquarters, in Boca Raton. Miami-based BH Group is a development firm focused on luxury projects across South Florida. The company has experience in acquisition, construction, design, capital structuring and asset management. …
OPA-LOCKA, FLA. — The Integral Group has broken ground on Wellspring Apartments, an affordable seniors housing community in the Miami suburb of Opa-Locka. Wellspring Apartments will feature 99 units, 67 of which are reserved for residents earning below 50 percent of the area median income (AMI), and the remaining 32 units are for residents earning below 60 percent AMI. The 81,350-square-foot property will feature a computer and library room, fitness center, community center with a full kitchen, and covered terrace. The project is a public-private partnership between Integral, Miami-Dade County, the City of Opa-Locka and local businesses. PNC Bank is also a partner on the project, providing $13.4 million in equity through Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funds.
D’IBERVILLE, MISS. — Red Oak Capital Holdings LLC has provided a $7.7 million loan for Ocean Shores Apartments, a 128-unit affordable housing community located at 10472 Gorenflo Road in D’Iberville, about three miles north of Biloxi. The fixed-rate loan is interest-only and carries a two-year term, with an all-in interest rate of 9.5 percent. Craig Hall of CBRE brought the opportunity to Red Oak Capital. Jeff Joyner, Hermann Wendorff and Jesus Martinez of Red Oak Capital originated the loan. The borrower, an entity doing business as Ocean Shores Property Owner LLC, will use the loan to acquire the garden-style property and complete renovations begun by the seller, including new flooring and paint, as well as HVAC maintenance, reglazing existing kitchen countertops and replacing appliances in most of the units. The property, which was 94 percent occupied at the time of financing, operates under a land use restrictive agreement (LURA) through 2047 that requires the units to be rented to households earning less than the area median income (AMI). After the renovations, the borrower plans to boost rental rates by using vouchers that allow for rents greater than those imposed by the LURA. Situated on 11 acres, Ocean Shores features one-, …