The city issued a permit June 22 for The Vestcor Companies Inc. to develop 90 affordable apartments in West Jacksonville for adults age 55 and over.
Jacksonville-based Summit Contracting Group is the contractor for the almost $10.65 million Melissa Grove construction project at 6555 Lenox Ave.
The city issued the site-clearing permit May 31 for the 7.5-acre site.
Jacksonville-based Vestcor is developing the $23 million Melissa Grove at northwest Lenox and Lane avenues, south of Normandy Boulevard.
Vestcor said in December it anticipated starting construction in the second quarter of 2023 for completion within 10 to 12 months after that.
Ryan Hoover, president of TVC Development Inc., part of Vestcor, said the company is buying the undeveloped land from Potter’s House Christian Fellowship Inc. He said June 23 the sale would close pending permitting from the St. Johns River Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“There is a huge demand in almost all areas of town for senior affordable housing, and this area is no different. It also has access to public transportation, services, easy access to other parts of town and is in a well-established neighborhood,” Hoover said Dec. 12.
Plans show a three-story building designed to comprise two studio, 59 one- and 29 two-bedroom apartments.
Monthly rents will be $875 for the two studio units; $931 for the one-bedroom, one-bathroom units; and $1,106 for the two-bedroom, two-bath units.
He said 90% of the units, or 81, will be for adults age 55 and over making up to 60% of area median income. That would be an income of up to $37,200 for one person.
The remaining nine, or 10%, are for those making up to $20,460, which is 33% of the area median income.
That increases to $42,480 and $23,364 respectively for two people.
Hoover said interior amenities include a fitness center, common activity/kitchen area, movie theater and conditioned interior hallways.
He said exterior amenities include a walking trail, dog park, butterfly garden and raised planters for resident use.
Abbey Civil Engineers Inc. is the civil engineer.
Through Melissa Grove Ltd, Vestcor requested an administrative deviation to the city zoning code to reduce the number of parking spaces from 165 to 105, which it says is consistent with the number of parking spaces at other senior affordable communities in the city and state.
A letter to the city from Hoover says Melissa Grove Ltd. has been awarded an allocation of low-income housing tax credits for the project.
Hoover said the credits are the same that Vestcor uses to finance some of its other developments.
He said Vestcor competes annually for an allocation from Florida Housing Finance Corp. It also received a local government contribution in the form of a $75,000 loan from the Jacksonville Housing Finance Authority.