May 22, 2010

Telegram story on Southgate Place

$6.3M housing project breaks ground


WORCESTER — The South Worcester Neighborhood Improvement Coalition broke ground yesterday on Southgate Place, a $6.3 million affordable housing project on the former City Builders property.

Located at 104 Armory St. across from the Canterbury Street School, the project will convert a contaminated industrial parcel into 25 units of affordable rental units. The project is a public-private partnership between SWNIC and Needham-based Home & Johnson StepONE Architects, an architectural and development firm. The two organizations are developing the project through the Mechanics Guild LLC, in which SWNIC holds the majority interest. The project will be funded by low income housing tax credits, a brownfields cleanup grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, several other public sources, and some private loans.

The first phase of the property will involve cleanup of the property and demolition of several abandoned buildings. The site will house a three-story residential building and an outdoor bocce court. Construction is expected to be complete in early 2011, and rental applications will be available in March of next year.

The use for the remainder of the parcel has not been determined, according to a press release from the South Worcester Neighborhood Coalition, but possible options include a daycare center or affordable elderly housing

1 comment:

Darlene K. Whitney said...

Since the public pool has been closed at the park, why not create a small recreational area like they have in amusement parks where there are sprays that come out of the ground for people to cool off in the summer. Not only will the kids appreciate it, but the adults can also cool off on those hot humid summer days without having to wait for two hours in line to get into a public park swimming pool!