NEW ORLEANS – Providence Community Housing, a NeighborWorks America® chartered member, and Columbia Residential celebrated the groundbreaking of Sacred Heart at St. Bernard at a ceremony yesterday at 11:00 a.m. Sacred Heart at St. Bernard is a new mixed-income, multifamily community that is a redevelopment of the former Sacred Heart Church, which was constructed in 1955, on St. Bernard Avenue in the 7th Ward of New Orleans.
Located within the Faubourg Lafitte and Choice Neighborhood footprints, the church will be renovated into six rental units. Additionally, a new four-story building will be constructed and will contain 47 residential rental units, laundry facilities, fitness center, a small public community room and approximately 4,200 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. In total, the community will provide 53 one- and two-bedroom apartments, totaling more than 65,000 square feet; 44 units will be reserved for residents making below 60 percent of the Area Median Income and nine will be market rate.
“Columbia Residential has a strong connection to New Orleans, and we look forward to building another successful development in this resilient city,” Noel Khalil, founder and principal of Atlanta-based Columbia Residential, said. “We seek to spur additional activity and interest in the revitalization efforts of the surrounding neighborhoods through this redevelopment.”
Construction recently began, and the community is expected to open in early 2018. The development will create new jobs in construction and property management, project reps said. The development team consists of Providence Community Housing and Columbia Residential, with assistance from Urban Focus Louisiana and Vance Vaucresson. JHP Architecture/Urban Design, Gulf Engineers & Consultants and Massengale make up the design team. Block Builders is the general contractor. Once completed, Columbia Residential Property Management will manage the property.
“Sacred Heart at St. Bernard is a continuation of Providence’s commitment to provide affordable housing options for residents of the Greater New Orleans area and is one more shining example of how successful partnerships are working to keep neighborhoods strong in our community,” Terri North, president & CEO of Providence Community Housing, said.
The Louisiana Housing Corporation provided nine percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits to the project via a competitive application process and is also providing $400,000 Community Development Block Grant and Permanent Supportive Housing rental subsidy for 11 units. Enterprise Community Partners and Capital One are providing tax credit equity, Capital One Bank is providing the construction loan and permanent financing and the City of New Orleans awarded $1.14 million in HOME funds to the project. Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) is providing rental subsidy for 13 Project Based Voucher Units.
