Lawrenceville developer commits to 35 affordable units

A developer of high- end apartments in Lawrenceville has committed to affordable units under that neighborhood’s new affordable housing measure.

The inclusionary zoning law, expected to be passed in City Council on Tuesday, will require developers of any new projects with at least 20 units to make 10% of them affordable.

The second phase of the 343- unit Arsenal 201 apartment complex at 39th and Butler streets will include 35 affordable units, Alex Sanders Jr., director of development for Indianabased Milhaus, said Thursday. The units are expected to be complete by June 2021.

“All the amenities will be the same, all the finishes will be the same, you won’t be able to tell the difference,” Mr. Sanders said.

The units must be distributed throughout a development, with the exception of the top floor, according to the ordinance. Shared building amenities, including a gym, pool or parking, must be shared with no additional charges or restrictions.

The ordinance, which will apply to Upper, Central and Lower Lawrenceville, received council’s unanimous preliminary approval Wednesday.

Completed in 2018, the first phase of Arsenal 201 — a 243- unit building that is 99% leased — is entirely marketrate, with 345- square- foot “micro” studios starting at $ 1,222. ( Micro studios include a Murphy bed.) A three- bedroom apartment ranges from $ 2,870 to $ 3,020.

Rent payments for affordable units will not be permitted to exceed 30% of the monthly earnings of a person or family making 50% of the area median income, a standard set by the federal government.

For a two- person household in Pittsburgh, $ 30,400 is 50% of the area median income, according to federal guidelines.

Mr. Sanders said that Milhaus has met with Lawrenceville Corporation and Lawrenceville United, two nonprofit community groups, “10 times at least throughout this entire process, making a whole bunch of changes, not only with affordable [ units] but with green spaces.”

The construction of the apartment complex’s first section was not without concerns from residents, said Lawrenceville United’s Executive Director Dave Breingan, but “Milhaus also seems willing to follow through on the commitments that they made to the community that are relevant for phase two,” including a public green space and leasing parking to Pittsburgh Public Schools, which operates Arsenal middle and high schools directly across the street.

Mr. Sanders asked the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment on Thursday to allow for a temporary 75- spot surface parking lot on the land while the second phase is under construction.