Affordable Housing : Development News

Already, the Little Earth of United Tribes Homeownership Initiative is turning around part of Minneapolis’s East Phillips neighborhood.

As its name suggests, the initiative helps members of the Little Earth community get to the point of homeownership.

Only a handful of years ago, the American Indian-targeted affordable housing Little Earth was considered dangerous and undesirable, says City Council member Gary Schiff.

Today, Little Earth has a waiting list of 100 people. “It’s a significant sign of success for the organization,” he says.   

In some ways, this relates to the homeownership initiative, which got its start a few years ago, he says.

At the time, Little Earth began working with the city to reduce crime in the area.  

Little Earth took a zero-tolerance attitude towards crime, evicting problem tenants. Then it partnered with the city to buy up the nearby rental housing on what's referred to as the E.M. Stately blocks, where drug-dealing and gang activity were still an issue. That's where the homeownership initiative, which involves rehabbing or constructing seven new single-family homes, comes into play.

The housing is like an extension of Little Earth, while providing for the possibility of homeownership--the first initiative like this in the city to target American Indians. “It’s an economic development and anti-crime strategy,” he says, adding that crime is way down.  

The program, which includes everything from the new homes to job assistance, creates an economic ladder for those who want to live in the area, but who don’t qualify for low-income housing at Little Earth, he says.   

One of the homes is being rehabbed right now, while another four are under construction. The houses are planned to be ready by wintertime.  

“The number of residents paying market-rate rents is really fascinating,” he says, adding, “People want to live there and be a part of the Native American community.”

Schiff is finding that word is spreading. People at Little Earth are taking classes to become homeowners and establish a good credit record. “It’s gotten people excited at Little Earth to realize it’s building an economically diverse community,” he says.

The City of Lakes Community Land Trust (CLCLT), Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP), Woodlands Bank, the city, and the Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC) collaborated to acquire the lots.

“It’s one of several housing projects that reflect a renaissance for East Phillips and the American Indian community,” he says, adding that the community continues to grow for the second decade in a row.    

Source: Gary Schiff, Minneapolis City Council member
Writer: Anna Pratt

For the City of Lakes Community Land Trust (CLCLT), the North Side is beginning to feel like home.
 
Over the years, the organization, which provides affordable homeownership opportunities, had been looking to expand beyond its 400-square-foot space at the similarly housing-focused PRG, Inc. in South Minneapolis, according to Jeff Washburne, who leads CLCLT.
 
From the outset, the trust sought a North Side presence “based on recent historical challenges that have confronted North Minneapolis, and ability to locate close as possible to the majority of the population identified within the CLCLT mission,” according to trust materials.
 
The Minnesota Nonprofits Assistance Fund offered a vacant, boarded-up two-story building on Glenwood Avenue, which the trust jumped at. In the past, the building had housed a barber shop, a travel agency, and social services and apartment units, he says.
 
The organization acquired the 2,000-square-foot building in August 2010. It moved in earlier this summer. “We felt it was a great fit, a good location, and a good neighborhood,” he says, adding that work is still ongoing in the building.
 
Washburne sees it as an up-and-coming area. “It’s one of those corridors a lot of people don’t know about but if you drive down it you can see the potential of it,” he says, adding that International Market Square and a number of design firms are nearby.  
 
To make way for the trust the building was gutted, while the mechanical systems and roof were replaced.

It's unique for a land trust to own a commercial building, according to trust information. 
 
Much of the $300,000 project was done pro bono; the assistance fund and the city chipped in $160,000 combined, while, besides $90,000 in capital funding, the trust received $50,000 in pro bono commitments, according to trust materials.  
 
Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd., a local architecture firm, donated services to rehab and build out the building. Oppenheimer, Wolff, and Donnelly provided legal services, while the Andersen Corporation Foundation donated windows and the Valspar Foundation gave paint, according to the trust.   
 
Plant donations are still needed for the landscaping.
 
Today, the building includes a number of offices and conference rooms and a community meeting space, along with a kitchen. In the future, another small nonprofit organization could rent space in the building, he says.   
 
Already the trust has partnered with the Harrison neighborhood on several initiatives. “By locating there, it creates opportunities to connect with people and let people know we want to invest in the community,” Washburne says.    
 
The trust is in a good position to the plant the seed of homeownership in an area where this can be a challenge. “We’re a resource for residents to buy homes here and across the city,” he says. “It’ll spur more opportunities locally than there otherwise would be.”
 
 
Source: Jeff Washburne, Executive Director, City of Lakes Community Land Trust
Writer: Anna Pratt
 
 

A vintage building in St. Paul’s Merriam Park neighborhood, which at one point was scheduled to be demolished, is getting a second chance.

It’ll become a transitional housing facility for adults who’ve struggled with chemical dependency.

Transition Homes Corp., which runs a program along those lines at the nearby Foundation House, plans to bring its services to the Merriam Park building following its renovation.

It’s a positive change for the 1880s building, which went through foreclosure stages in recent years, according to Mike Blair, who manages Foundation House.

At one point the city planned to tear down the building, which has sat vacant for 12 years. However, “The city was able to get a waiver on it due to its historic nature,” he says.

A Pioneer Press story details the three-level building’s distinctive features, including its "polygonal shape, the elliptical arches over its windows and the castle battlement-like notches of its parapet.”

Transition Homes Corp., which is still negotiating the building’s purchase, will put in an outpatient office and a 25-unit “board and lodge facility” for men.  

The building, which now is an empty shell, will get a new kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, lounge, and more, he says.

Right now, the group is waiting for the various approvals it needs to get going on the project, which the Pioneer Press reports will total $1 million.

Blair says that the development is a good use of the space. It’ll serve people who are “homeless by definition, with no job, no assets, no income,” and who are becoming sober.

"We try to offer a foundation for recovery," he says.

That involves finding jobs and permanent housing, he says.  

If all goes as planned, the place could open as early as this fall.

Source: Mike Blair, manager, Foundation House
Writer: Anna Pratt

“Homes for All,” a documentary from Twin Cities Public Television (TPT), showcases several Twin Cities affordable housing projects that go above and beyond.

The documentary, which was sponsored in part by the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers, Minnesota Housing Partnership, and the Community Land Trust Coalition, will air on TPT on Feb. 19.  

It focuses on three different public- and private- sector developments that vary in size, including Hope Communities apartments in Minneapolis, Quarry View townhomes in Apple Valley, and Forest Ridge Townhomes in Forest Lake.  

Chip Halbach, executive director of the Minnesota Housing Partnership, explains that the documentary was put together to “give the general public a more in-depth understanding of what affordable housing is.”

The documentary profiles some residents of the developments behind the scenes, showing what their homes look like and how they fit into the community.

In each of these cases, the developments are “designed to contribute to the community,” he says.  

For example, Hope Communities, a 173-unit apartment complex at Franklin and Portland avenues in Minneapolis's Phillips neighborhood, has helped turn around a blighted area.

Besides stabilizing home life for its residents, the building, which was developed jointly by Minneapolis-based Hope Community and nearby Aeon, hosts various youth programs. “It goes beyond just making it safer,” Halbach says. “It’s a community-organizing vehicle” that has sparked revitalization elsewhere in the neighborhood as well.  

Although there's more work to be done in the neighborhood, “It all adds up to something that’s a real positive force in the Phillips neighborhood," he says.

In the documentary, a number of housing experts also “provide context for why the public should be interested in these affordable housing investments,” he adds.  

Source: Chip Halbach, executive director, Minnesota Housing Partnership
Writer: Anna Pratt

The $45 million Currie Park Lofts will turn around a vacant, blighted property in Minneapolis’s Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

It’ll also bring much-needed affordable housing to the area, according to developer Bianca Fine, who leads Fine Associates.

The six-story development will have 260 mixed-income apartments between floors two through six--with room to accommodate large families--while a cultural center, adult and child daycare, and a neighborhood grocer will share the first-floor retail space.

Right now, besides some limited parking, there’s a single-family home on the site that has an interesting history as a brewpub, and which the company is looking into the possibility of moving, she says.

One of the biggest advantages of the project's location is its proximity to the light rail transit lines, bus stops, and bicycle amenities. It’s also within walking distance of several large institutions, including the University of Minnesota, and downtown’s business district.

As such, “It’s a true transit-oriented development,” which helps fulfill city and neighborhood goals for the area.

Visually, Currie Park Lofts will blend into the neighborhood with a brick, glass and metal exterior, along with a pedestrian-scale design and landscaping. “Many different colors and finishes and textures will make it look like several different small buildings,” Fine explains.

Further, the design incorporates a number of balconies, which means “a lot of eyes on the street," and there'll also be green spaces and recreational areas.

Fine Associates has been working on the project since 2005, and that has “given us a lot of time to figure out how to do it best,” Fine says. “The more we got to know the neighborhood, the more we got to understand its needs,” and respond to them, which, she adds is key for its long-term success.  

In the next 20 years, projections show the need for housing in the neighborhood is likely to increase dramatically, according to Fine. “The neighborhood needs an engine of economic improvement,” she says, adding that the project will be “strongly integrated.”

Construction of the lofts could begin as early as this fall.

Source: Bianca Fine, Fine Associates
Writer: Anna Pratt

To gauge  interest in a couple of its redevelopment projects, Plymouth-based Dominium Development and Acquisition hosted a community meeting on Jan. 9 at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.

Dominium plans to convert two historic sites--the old Jacob Schmidt Brewery in St. Paul and Pillsbury ‘A’ Mill in Minneapolis--into artist live/work spaces. (See The Line’s stories here and here.)

With the help of PLACE, a nonprofit agency that specializes in this kind of housing, Dominium has created an online survey to get additional input.

The survey asks people to weigh in on everything from possible rent prices to amenities, to help shape the common spaces and individual units in both developments.

Owen Metz, a senior development associate at Dominium, says that the company wants to “assess the market, to see what interest there is from the arts community,” adding, “We want to find out what their motivations are for living there.”

Dominium is hoping to hear from 10,000 area artists. “We’ll use the feedback to guide and drive some of the decisions moving forward, as we design units and common spaces,” which will allow for flexibility in the design, he says.

He adds that the company is reaching out to artists working in many different media.  

Depending on the survey’s results, a photography studio, for example, could be incorporated into one or both of the housing projects.  

Whatever the reaction is, “We’ll take it to heart and try to accommodate it as much as we can,” he says.

Source: Owen Metz, senior development associate, Dominium Development
Writer: Anna Pratt

Central Exchange, a mixed-use development that's planned for St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood, will help turn around a site that has long been rundown.

Historically, the neighborhood as a whole has been under-invested in when compared with other parts of the city, according to Craig Johnson, who is the project manager for developer Model Cities.

Model Cities, which is based just a block-and-a-half away from the University Avenue site, wants to be a part of its improvement, he emphasizes.

For the project, the organization has acquired four vacant commercial properties that he describes as an “eyesore on the avenue.” It has often attracted vandalism, he says.  

Johnson says that the development will provide a boost to the area. “It’ll help make the area more attractive,” as opposed to somewhere that one would merely drive through.

Two of the buildings on the properties have been torn down, while the city will soon demolish the remaining couple of structures, he says.

Model Cities may also acquire another adjacent property, for which it’s trying to secure financing.

Central Exchange will have ground-floor commercial space along with a couple of stories of housing.

Altogether, there’ll be 30 to 45 units of mixed-income housing. Depending on its final footprint, the project could cost anywhere from $9.5 million to $13 million, according to Johnson.

The commercial spaces will be “oriented towards nonprofits, educational institutions or small businesses,” with an eye on what’s “useful to the community,” he says.

Model Cities is planning to install green roofs that will allow for urban gardening and stormwater management, as well.

The complex will alternately rise up one and three stories in different areas, to help break it up, visually. “If we built this as one big building it might have a more imposing feeling,” he says.

The coming Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line helped make the development possible. As such, “We see this project as a part of something bigger that’s going to really help the community.”

Construction at the site is scheduled to finish up in the spring of 2014.

Source: Craig Johnson, project manager, Model Cities
Writer: Anna Pratt

After years of being underused, the 1907 Lehmann Center in Minneapolis's Uptown area will be converted by the Plymouth-based Dominium Development & Acquisition into a 136-unit affordable housing development.

The $30 million complex, which has been dubbed the Buzza Lofts, will have a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments along with studios, according to Chris Barnes, who is a vice president and project manager at Dominium.

Following a wide variety of uses, the building most recently belonged to the Minneapolis Public Schools.

Considering that the building is historically designated through the National Register of Historic Places, “We’ll need to mesh it with historic profiles,” Barnes says.  

Many of the internal walls will be demolished so that the developer can start with a clean floor plate. “Once the demolition is completed, we’ll lay out the apartments in the grid,” he says.  

The building will also have a leasing office, a fitness center, and a lounge.

For the most part, its creamy white exterior will remain the same, though the roof will be replaced and new window openings will be made, Barnes explains.

Dominium hopes to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), in the high-ranking silver category, for the building. As just one example of the eco-friendly amenities being planned, a former parking lot will become a landscaped green space, with benches, tables, and a fireplace. “It’s unusual for an urban development to have that much green space,” he says.

Another one of its major green initiatives relates to stormwater management on the site.

Barnes is optimistic about the project, which will probably be ready by the end of the year.

On the whole, the rental market in Minneapolis is doing well, Barnes says. “Uptown as a sub-market is among the more desirable areas. Folks of all income levels want to live in that neighborhood.”


Source: Chris Barnes, vice president and project manager, Dominium Development
Writer: Anna Pratt

As a part of a recently announced federal plan, a handful of buildings at the Upper Post of Fort Snelling in Minneapolis will take on new life.

St. Paul’s CommonBond Communities is working with Sand Companies in St. Cloud on a $10.2 million project to redevelop the buildings into housing for homeless vets. 

It's one of 25 sites that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reusing to create 3,000 units of permanent and transitional housing for veterans around the country, according to VA information.

Another 1,000 units could be announced by the VA in the coming weeks.

The Upper Post buildings, which have long stood vacant or served as storage space, will be turned into 58 apartments, including a mix of one-bedrooms, efficiencies, and three-bedroom units, according to Andew Michaelson, senior housing development manager for CommonBond.  

Buildings will be rehabbed according to historic guidelines, while a combination of historic and low-income tax credits will help fund the project, he says.

Further, all kinds of supportive services will be located on-site. “’[They will] address the needs of the population,” he says, adding that the aid is focused not just upon homelessness but “whatever else they’re going through.”   

In general, more needs to be done to eliminate homelessness among vets, he says.

He says that the project will also benefit the surrounding community by helping to preserve a significant landmark. “These buildings are in increasing states of deterioration. We want to prevent further deterioration.”  

The buildings have a lot of potential he says, and lately, there’s been “more interest in doing things on the campus with the resource of this existing stock of buildings.”

Although the project’s timeline depends on the condition of the buildings, he says that construction could start as early as the end of 2012.

Source: Andrew Michaelson, senior housing development manager, CommonBond Communities
Writer: Anna Pratt

RS Eden, a local nonprofit developer, plans to convert a 1900-vintage building in Minneapolis's Downtown East neighborhood into an $18 million affordable apartment complex.

Attached to the existing four-story building will be a five-story building, where a parking lot now stands, according to RS Eden president Dan Cain.

Construction of the development, called Emanuel Housing, is to begin in February 2012.

The project takes its name from the late Scotty Emanuel, a former RS Eden employee. “He was a long-term, committed role model to young people coming out of poverty,” he says.

The 101 units will include mainly efficiencies, with six one-bedroom apartments. It’ll be affordable, with some market-rate apartments in the mix, Cain says.

A certain amount of space will be designated for military veterans and those who’ve had problems with chronic homelessness or chemical abuse.

However, the building will be open to anyone who is interested in sober living, Cain adds.  

Also in the building will be supportive services and community and retail space, while its previous owner, the Council on Crime and Justice, will stay put in the building.  

Part of the property could be turned into a green space.

The building is close to the light rail and the downtown area, which means convenient access to jobs.

More broadly, the development is a balance to the nearby high-end housing along the Mississippi riverfront. “Any community needs a mix of housing to be healthy,” Cain says.

It’s something that was lost in the 1960s and 70s when many buildings were torn down, he says. “This is an attempt to revitalize the whole Downtown East neighborhood."

Although RS Eden can’t do it single-handedly, he says, “We hope we can go a long way towards motivating that kind of change.”

In the future, the whole corridor between Washington Avenue and the Metrodome “will be much more pedestrian-friendly and vibrant than it is now.”

Source: Dan Cain, president, RS Eden
Writer: Anna Pratt

The Pillsbury 'A' Mill in Minneapolis, which once belonged to the world's largest flour-milling complex, represents a key part of the city's growth along the Mississippi River.

But in recent years, the mill, part of which dates to 1881, went through foreclosure after a redevelopment proposal from another developer fell through.

Afterward, it wound up on a list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places," created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

But Plymouth-based Dominium Development has an $80-million plan to reverse the trend. It plans to convert a handful of buildings on the campus into a 240-unit affordable artist live/work complex, according to Owen Metz, a senior development associate with the company.

Separately, Doran Cos. in Minneapolis is planning a 375-unit housing development for another portion of the Pillsbury site. Read The Line story here.

Although Dominium is still working out the details of the building and land agreements, this "is the first project of its scale, in terms of affordable artist live/work housing," he says. "We're trying to have different little nooks that cater to artists, with studios as well," he says.

Dominium has a similar project underway at Jacob Schmidt Brewery in St. Paul, which The Line covered here.  "We're trying to play off of what's already been done and what we've learned," says Metz.      

Although much of the design work is still in an early phase at Pillsbury, Metz says that the iconic grain elevators, which contribute to its historic significance, will stay intact--purely for aesthetic reasons. 

The group is talking with the neighborhood group, city officials, and other stakeholders to get input and leverage some of the work that's already been done on the site. "We're trying to streamline the process a little bit but also get feedback," which Metz says is especially important for such a landmark.

Some of the building's structural issues need to be addressed before too much gets hammered out. "Nothing's in stone yet," he says. "We're considering various uses for the space. We want to make sure it fronts well at Main Street."    

He hopes it'll bring a unique vitality to the area, while also building on the existing community in Northeast, he says. "We feel that financially, it's a good investment and that it'll be a success and be able to fill up quickly," he says.

In an area where many of the housing options are higher-end, "It gives people the opportunity to live that close to downtown, with those views, at an affordable level," he says.

Source: Owen Metz, Dominium Development
Writer: Anna Pratt

A local developer is re-imagining a century-old vacant building in Minneapolis's Stevens Square neighborhood as a $19.5 million apartment complex.

Dubbed the Dunwoody Apartments, the plan is a welcome change in direction for the building that once housed the Abbott Hospital.

In recent years the building has been a magnet for crime, according to developer Swami Palanisami, who heads Palanisami and Associates, the consulting engineering firm that's leading the charge.

Palanisami's proposal entails a complete revamping of the four-story building to make way for 123 studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. Of those, 25 will be set aside as affordable, something the neighborhood has a big demand for, he says. Retail businesses will also occupy the first floor.

New kitchens, plus common laundry and exercise rooms are a part of the plan, he says.

A centralized heating and cooling system will be installed, along with other mechanical and electrical upgrades. The building's brick exterior and balcony will also be restored.

Additionally, underground and above-ground parking at the Dunwoody Apartments will help free up space on the street, he says.

Already, related city zoning changes and accompanying remodeling plans have been approved, says Palanisami, who is in the process of putting together project financing, which includes various historic tax credits, plus a combination of local and federal government support.

Previously, Palanisami had considered other plans for the building, which is in close proximity to downtown, but those didn't advance once the recession hit, he says.

The apartment proposal is more viable. "It makes good sense not to throw away an old building, but to restore it," he says. "It'll fit in well with the nearby neighborhood."

He hopes to start the renovation later this summer.

Source: Swami Palanisami, developer  
Writer: Anna Pratt

In St. Paul, the $17 million redevelopment of the Renaissance Box building is part of an "underground renaissance" in the Wacouta Commons neighborhood, according to Matt Hodson, a spokesperson for Aeon, the local nonprofit developer behind the project.

Aeon is converting a former shoe factory at 10th and Sibley streets into 70 affordable apartments.

The seven-level Renaissance Box, an historically designated building that dates back to 1914, will have a mix of housing that's targeted at people with all different incomes, including efficiencies and one- and two-bedroom apartments; 14 efficiencies will be dedicated to those who've struggled with chronic homelessness, according to Hodson.

Among its amenities, Renaissance Box, which will have a warehouse loft-style feel, will offer tenants private storage, an exercise room, a community space with a kitchen, a green roof, a shared patio, and an art space—in collaboration with local arts incubator, Springboard for the Arts.

Sustainability will be a theme running throughout the building. Plans are in the works to achieve LEED certification, a national standard for green building, Hodson says.

Aeon has a goal to create new industry models "to take ideals of sustainability and bring them to affordable housing in a practical manner," he says.

To do so, Aeon is working on with the University of Minnesota's Center for Sustainable Building Research and Center for Energy and Environment (CEE). The Line covered another Aeon development that's part of this pilot program here.

Renaissance Box, which Aeon purchased out of foreclosure in 2006, will help round out the diversity of housing in the Wacouta Commons area.

A decade ago, vacant buildings and surface parking lots characterized the neighborhood. Today, "It has really become a thriving neighborhood with a variety of housing options with everything from high-end condos to affordable housing," he says. "That's what we're bringing and it helps create a vibrant residential community.   

Construction, which has been ongoing since August 2010, is expected to finish up by July 1, according to Hodson.
   
Source: Matt Hodson, Aeon, spokesperson 
Writer: Anna Pratt

The St. Paul-based Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP), a nonprofit organization that preserves and creates affordable housing, last week received $750,000 from the federal government to help carry out a new "place-based" community assistance program.    

MHP was chosen through a competitive process, along with a dozen other organizations nationwide to work with the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s recently formed arm, OneCPD, which refers to its Office of Community Planning and Development.  

Although the details of the new program are still coming together, MHP executive director Chip Halbach explains that the consortium will probably be on hand to help HUD in a more consistent way than it has in the past.

Previously, HUD hired the housing organization for specific needs, helping to revise an organization's property management practices or meet income-tracking requirements. "There are specific chunks of work we would come in and do," he says, adding, "This points to a different approach."  

Basically, HUD is going for a more broadly based integrated community development style, while MHP's focus will be on the Upper Midwest, according to MHP information.

Halbach says he's excited about HUD's new direction. In his view, "There's a lot of potential for what could be done."

As a part of this new initiative, HUD has pulled together various agencies that can lend different types of expertise, including affordable housing, business and community planning, economic development, infrastructure planning, construction management, sustainable design and natural resource protection, and market research, among other things, according to MHP information.  

Other local organizations that are a part of this effort that MHP is leading includes the following: Bonestroo Inc., the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers, and Affordable Housing Connections, Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development, Great Lakes Capital Fund in Michigan and Seattle's Sound Thinking.


Source: Chip Halbach, executive director, Minnesota Housing Partnership
Writer: Anna Pratt

The $9.5 million Nicollet Square development at 3700 Nicollet Avenue, which takes an innovative approach to housing homeless youth, is hosting an open house on May 5, with building tours, speakers, and more.

It's one way to thank Nicollet Square's supporters and celebrate its accomplishments to date, according to Lee Blons, who leads the Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation, which developed the building.

Nicollet Square has 42 studio apartments that are targeted at young adults, ages 16-21, who are transitioning from homelessness or foster homes, Blons explains.

Since Nicollet Square opened its doors in December 2010, tenants have been moving in and the place is likely to be full by June, according to Blons.  

The foundation partnered with several other local groups on the project, including Common Bond Housing, HIRED and YouthLink, allowing it to provide personalized attention to tenants. "It's about an integrated comprehensive approach to housing, with on-site supportive services and employment," she says.  

For starters, its unique "Work Fast" program immediately connects people with jobs that have subsidized wages. "In a tough economy it helps break through some barriers to employment," she says.

This way, tenants are able to start paying rent right away. At Nicollet Square, rent is set at a low rate in the beginning and it gradually increases through time, to help tenants eventually ease into a more typical housing environment.  

As for other amenities, Nicollet Square has community, computer, and fitness rooms, while the backyard is equipped for grilling and picnics. The building has additional "little features to build community among the residents," she says.  

For the still-empty retail space, which can be configured for one tenant or several, Blons said the foundation is open to various possibilities. A restaurant, coffee shop, or offices could go into the space. "We'd love to have a business that was interested in having young people [from the building] if it needed entry-level employees."

Though she's proud of the project, she stresses the need for ongoing support. With 2,500 homeless young adults across the state, she says, "We hope to end homelessness but we have a long ways to go."

Source: Lee Blons, Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation
Writer: Anna Pratt