Low-Income Housing Project Takes Advantage of Lower Costs
Tamarack place, an 83-unit, low-income housing complex with 10,000 sq ft of retail space in Seattle, got an infusion of cash through a $7-million award from the $13.5 million in stimulus funds the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development gave to the Seattle Housing Authority. An additional $6.5 million will fund infrastructure on the northern portion of the site.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding “allows us to make up for the loss of funds caused by the economic downturn. Now we can take advantage of reduced construction costs to complete this,” says Rebecca Whitney, SHA senior housing developer.
The new funds added to paperwork for general contractor Walsh Construction Co. “We have three different lenders, and they all want different information,” says Mike Clancy, Walsh project manager.
One of the 350 construction jobs created by the funding is Clancy’s. “Our main office is in Portland, but the construction market there is not as vibrant as it is in Seattle,” he says. “I volunteered to move to Seattle so I wouldn’t get laid off and so people in Portland could keep their jobs.”
| Jobs Created | Total: 30 Low-Income Apartment Units: 83 |
|---|---|
| ARRA Contract Amount | $7 Million |
HUD grants specify the contractor hire as many people as possible from the immediate neighborhood. “This is providing training opportunities for lots of low-income people,” says Clancy. Project Architects Tonkin Hoyne, Seattle, also were able to resume a five-day work week, partially because of this project.
