Summary Information

 

Summary Information

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Columbus HOPE VI Program Plans

Executive Summary  (July, 2004)    [download as PDF]

The Revitalization Plan for George Foster Peabody Apartments calls for the complete demolition of all 510 severely distressed existing public housing units on-site and their replacement with a 363-unit mixed-income residential community, 120 unit residential community for the elderly and a commercial component along the major arterial street that borders the south side of the site.

The Peabody Apartments site is strategically located between the Columbus Regional Medical Center and the Waverly Terrace Historic District and is adjacent to a major arterial roadway, Talbotton Road – which the State of Georgia has proposed resources to upgrade – and which links the Peabody site to downtown Columbus to the south and Columbus State University on the north. The site is a five-minute drive from downtown. This exceptional location allows the new community to be developed with the broadest range of incomes.

Of the 363 proposed on-site units, 145 (40 percent) are public housing replacement units, 73 (20 percent) are affordable units funded with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and 145 (40 percent) are market-rate rental units. In addition, the site’s location on Talbotton Road, combined with its proximity to the Columbus Regional Medical Center makes it an attractive location for a senior’s housing development and also for commercial development as a service center for the new community. As a result, the revitalization plan for on-site development includes a potential 120 unit residential facility for seniors living and approximately 29,000 square feet of community-based office / local retail space, which will be leased to businesses serving the residents of the site and surrounding neighborhood. Integral Properties, LLC has been selected as the Master Developer for this project.

The Phase I development project consists of scattered site construction of 33 affordable homeownership units. The sites are situated at various locations throughout Columbus with an assemblage of 19 lots in the East Wynnton Park neighborhood, an area in which the Columbus Housing Initiative (CHI), a local Community Development Corporation; Fourth Street Towers, a local Community Housing Development Organization; and Habitat for Humanity have been active in building new single-family detached housing. Integral Properties has contracted with CHI to act as builder for the homeownership project. This arrangement will significantly benefit the project by taking advantage of the expertise and experience available through CHI and their well-established Homeownership counselling, purchase, and construction programs. As noted, 19 homes will be constructed at the East Wynnton Park site; the remainder of the lots, 14, will be made available from CHI’s inventory of buildable properties situated throughout Columbus. Site selections will be made by prospective homeowners.

Relocation Requirements

HACG’s committed to make resident relocation a sensitive and choice-based process to enable residents to make informed choices about their relocation housing and thereby enhance opportunities for housing diversity for residents. Residents have been able to select housing from the HACG inventory of public housing communities or to participate in the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program and rent privately-owned rental units throughout the Columbus metropolitan area.

HACG and the residents developed a formal relocation plan to support the relocation efforts. Relocation has been planned over three phases. Resident Relocation in the Phase 1 Area was complete as of February 13, 2004. Resident Relocation from the Phase 2 relocation Area will be complete by June 30, 2004, on schedule and the Phase 3 Relocation Area will be vacant by September 30, 2004; three months ahead of schedule.

HACG will encourage those residents who may be ready to pursue Homeownership through HACG’s innovative housing counseling and development program. Residents will also choose whether they wish to return to the new community or retain their relocation housing as permanent housing. Throughout the process, residents are also reminded to remain in compliance with their lease in order to be eligible for relocation benefits.

Community and Supportive Services

The Community and Supportive Services (CSS) element of the revitalization plan benefits from the efforts of key community-based service providers in an integrated program tailored to the needs of the families living in the Peabody Apartments community. Among current families, the median income is $7,556, compared with the Fiscal Year 2002 Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area median Income of $45,400. Approximately 46 percent of heads of household are unemployed, and only 22 percent of persons with income cited employment as the source. Of the total site population of 1018, there are 335 school-age children and 646 children ages 0–17. The cornerstone of the HACG Community and Supportive Services program is Pastoral Institute – a faith-based counseling and education center – which has been contracted by HACG as CSS program coordinator/provider/administrator. The Pastoral Institute is providing case management services to ensure that the relocation and CSS programs are fully integrated and coordinated to meet the needs of all affected families during and after relocation. Other key participants include Columbus Regional Medical Center, Goodwill Industries, the Muscogee County School District, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Columbus Housing Initiative. The Bradley-Turner Foundation is substantially funding the case management process. The CSS Work Plan was formally approved by HUD effective May 20, 2004, and service delivery has been on-going.

Master Developer

Through a competitive process and in compliance with HUD regulations, HACG has procured Integral Properties LLC as Master Developer for the Peabody HOPE VI revitalization. Integral Properties is one of the most experienced and successful HOPE VI developers in the nation, having served as developer for the landmark Centennial Place HOPE VI project in Atlanta. A formal Master Development Agreement between HACG and Integral Properties was concluded as of October 03, 2003 to the approval of HUD Headquarters.

While Integral Properties will be the designated Master Developer for the complete project; Integral has also partnered with a local affordable housing agency, Columbus Housing Initiative, for the purposes of implementing the off-site homeownership project.

Intergovernmental Agreement

HACG in partnership with Integral Properties have been diligently working with City of Columbus to conclude an Intergovernmental Agreement which will enable implementation of the financial commitment from City of Columbus for infrastructure within the Right Of Way. The Agreement will apply to the Peabody Site and the East Wynnton Site. Documentation is in process of final review and comments with legal teams.

Demolition

Subsequent to preparation of Construction Documents in January 2004; the Demolition Invitation for Bid process was initiated by Integral Properties LLC in February. Demolition Bid Proposals were received from 8 contractors in mid- March. Having completed an extensive due diligence process, Integral Properties have recommended award of the Demolition Contract to Bianchi Industrial Services LLC. Abatement and demolition work at the Peabody site is scheduled to commence in mid-July following completion of contractor submittals and project permitting.

The Demolition Project has been contractually formatted into 3 distinct phases to coincide and coordinate with the Peabody Resident Relocation Project. The Phase 1 Demolition is expected to be complete by November 2004, Phase 2 Demolition is scheduled to be complete by February 2005 and the final segment, Phase 3 Demolition, is scheduled for completion by May 2005.

On-Site Development Program

The Peabody Site’s strategic location allows for the development of a new community with the broadest range of incomes. The Revitalization Plan calls a new mixed-income community composed of 363 rental apartments, including: 40 percent public housing replacement units; 20 percent affordable units financed through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and 40 percent market-rate rental units.

Through a lengthy process of site and market evaluation and several public meetings, Project Teams completed the initial Masterplanning process in December 2003. In furthering the process for Phase 1 Development, the Master Developer and HACG submitted a tax credit application to Georgia Department of Community Affairs as of May 4, 2004. The Phase 1 Project will include a total of 182 units consisting of 73 market rate rental units, 73 public housing units and 36 subsidized units.

The proposed unit count and mix of building types for the total Peabody Development is summarized by the following chart.

PEABODY ON-SITE HOUSING

		Block1	Block2	Block3	Block4	Block5	Block6	Block7	Block8	Subtotal per Building type	Grand Total	Program Ratio Apt. to Townhouse
Building Types		Number of Units
	"Grand" House (Type 1R)								6	6	264	73%
	Garden Apartments (Type 1)		16		24	24		16	12	80
	Garden Apartments (Type 2)	12	12	24				12		72
	Garden Apartments (Type 3)									0
	Garden Apartments (Type 5)	18					36			54
	Garden Apartments (Type 6)	12								12
	Townhouses (Type 7)		11		12	14		11	7	55	80	27%
	Townhouses w/ Flats (Type WRT)			18			26		21	55
	Senior Building (*)				110-120
	TH (off-site on 24th/25th Street)										19
	Grand TOTAL:	42	39	42	36	38	62	39	46	344	363	100%

 

Off-Site Housing and Homeownership

Phase I development consists of scattered site construction of 33 affordable homes for eligible families. All sites for these units are currently vacant. Current applicable Zoning Ordinances allow for the construction of single-family detached units. The sites are situated at various locations throughout Columbus. A group of 19 lots has been assembled in the East Wynnton Park neighborhood, an area in which the Columbus Housing Initiative (CHI), a local Community Development Corporation, have been active in building new single-family detached housing. The sites for the 19 East Wynnton parcels are currently owned by the City of Columbus and a property transfer agreement is currently in process which will allow HACG to gain ownership of the properties and then pass ownership to the project developer. Columbus Housing Initiative, in partnership with Integral Properties, will act as builder for the homeownership project. While 19 units will be constructed at the East Wynnton site, the remainder of the lots, 14, will be made available from CHI’s current inventory of buildable properties. Actual site selections and home designs will be made by prospective homeowners as they complete the Homeownership Training Program implemented through CHI. Currently, the Homeownership Project is advancing through legal and financial processes toward a construction start scheduled for October, 2004.

The construction of the 33 off-site homeownership units, as part of the HOPE VI Revitalization Plan, will further the goal of the City and CHI to stabilize and revitalize the East Wynnton Park neighborhood and other City neighborhoods to make high quality homes affordable to low- and moderate-income families.

Off-Site Housing

Phase 1 Off-Site Housing - East Wynnton Park
Summary of Unit Mix by Building & BR Mix
Building Type	Single Family Homes
No. of Buildings	33
Total No. of Units	33
No. of Stories	1
3-bedroom	33
Housing Types	Detached

 

What is HOPE VI?

The HOPE VI Program was developed as a result of recommendations by National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing, which was charged with proposing a National Action Plan to eradicate severely distressed public housing.

The Commission recommended revitalization in three general areas: physical improvements, management improvements, and social and community services to address resident needs.

To learn more about the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOPE VI program, please follow this link to their website that contains detailed program information and content.

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