Items Tagged ‘affordable housing’
Spring Target For Building At Silk Mill
Synopsis:
After two years of planning since the city’s approval for the project, construction is slated to begin this spring to convert the old A.H. Rice Mill in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Rees-Larkin Development of Boston has already received some funding through state and federal historic tax credits, but the biggest hurdle has been to get the award of $8.1 million in affordable housing tax credits from the commonwealth’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Making up a large portion of the projected $13 redevelopment costs, this funding has been integral to start the process. The developer is certain that they will receive the funding which will be announcing later this year.
The old silk mill, vacant for five years, will be adapted into 45 units of affordable housing as the new Rice Silk Mill Apartments. The project will help to provide much-needed affordable housing within the community as well as encourage further revitalization of the Morningside neighborhood where it is located. A majority of the mill will be utilized in the redevelopment, though a small, non-historic structures will be taken down to allow for the creation of a courtyard and green space.
$5M Towards Affordable Housing
Synopsis:
The City of Ludlow is getting ready to convert an old Boys and Girls Club facility into much-needed affordable housing units. Thanks to $5 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this city in Western Massachusetts will be able to create 30 affordable housing units. The units will be allocated to the elderly and disabled within the community. The conversion project is expected to take two years and will help to provide accessible housing opportunities in a vacant, abandoned space.
Oxford House
Synopsis:
History
The historic Christian Science Church was constructed in 1940. It served as the home for the First Church of Christ in the village of Newtonville in Newton, Massachusetts. Designed by Densmore, LeClear and Robbins architects in the Colonial Revival style, the structure served its initial purpose until it was sold in 2004.[1]
(Re)Developer
The developer that purchased the building and initiated its conversion was World Realty + Development of Newton. The architect that performed the adaptive reuse was Jai Singh Khalsa.
Khalsa specializes in the design of affordable housing and government projects and has performed numerous adaptive reuse projects since founding the firm in 1980.
Outcome
The religious structure has been given new life as 11 condominium homes. The units feature 16-foot ceilings with lofts up to 25-feet high, with one unit that includes a two-story library in the steeple.[2] The redevelopment was also the first project in Newton under the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. The ordinance, adopted in 2003, required that any new residential development needed 15% of the units set as affordable in perpetuity.[3]
Prescott Neighbors Push Back
Synopsis:
Residents of Groton, Massachusetts, are speaking up about what they want to see happen with the old Prescott School. The public meeting on February 6th saw the community asking the town to sidetable plans to convert the building for residential and commercial use and instead keep it as a public asset. While the original discussion was whether to sell it to a private developer or to adapt it for affordable housing, the meeting brought out a new request to have it remain as some type of education center. Any reuse proposal for Prescott will need to go through town meeting, though the Board of Selectmen hope to find a new use so that the building does not go vacant and deteriorate.
Schools Getting New Life As Housing
Publication Date:
February 10, 2010Written By:
Richard ConnSource:
The Daily News TribuneRead more...
Synopsis:
The City of Waltham, Massachusetts, is taking advantage of the current real estate market by converting two unused school buildings in their system into senior housing – at a fraction of the cost. The old Hardy School, which was donated to the city by Bentley University, is currently undergoing renovations. It will soon include 19 apartments and a community room. Originally estimated at a $1-million price tag, the project total has come to $640,000. The city is now accepting bids to also adapt the Banks School on Main Street into about 30 units of housing for those 62 and older. A number of units in both buildings will be available for “Section 8″ housing, though the final total has not been determined. This is great news as the city is turning its unused assets into profit-generating buildings while also providing more affordable housing for the elderly.
KLofts
Synopsis:
History
The KLoft site and structure originally served the San Diego community as a Circle K convenience store and gas station. Situated in the Golden Hill neighborhood, this area has recently been experiencing significant gentrification after years deterioration.
(Re)Developer
Private developer and architect Jonathan Segal purchased the site to help further revitalize the neighborhood. Segal proposed an apartment complex with a street-level garage and a small commercial/retail space.[1] KLofts was designed with a participatory design process creating positive connections between and among residents, community stakeholders, local government officials and civic groups.
Outcome
The design outcome provides a building with public and private space that enhances human scale and further promotes social interaction, shared use of space, defensible space to help revitalize this deteriorating community while at the same time enhancing the community’s physical fabric. The project was built at a cost of $82/sf and utilized no governmental subsidy. KLofts is a collection of simple architectural forms collaged to create a nine unit loft building on a 9,000 square foot urban property. The former Circle K convenience store and gas station were saved and integrated into the new design to minimize the deconstruction and make adaptive reuse of the existing building. The modern building integrates urban living environments for a mixture of very low income (50% of median income) affordable and market rate rental units with each unit containing large private outdoor spaces and oversize glazing. The sustainable project provides 50% renewable electricity and a unit set aside for very low income families. The architect/developer worked closely with the community for nine months to ensure a project that is well received by the neighborhood and provides needed affordable housing in San Diego.[2]
At Old Shoe Factory, a Foot in the Door for Affordable Housing
Synopsis:
The private affordable housing developer Aeon will soon convert the old Renaissance Box shoe factory into 70 units of affordable housing. Utilizing a mix of state and city funds, foundation grants, private investors using federal tax credits, as well as tax credits from the federal stimulus program, the developer will begin work once the building is granted federal historic certification. The building will remain intact, save the addition that was put on which will be removed to create green space. The housing will primarily focus on workers downtown in the service industry.