Extension granted for Summerville Park duplex project
♦ The housing authority puts Maple Street makeover talks on hold.
Delays related to both rain and the COVID-19 public health emergency have resulted in an extension of time to complete a new housing development on Charlton Street at the entrance to Summerville Park.
Northwest Georgia Housing Authority Executive Director Sandra Hudson told the authority board of directors the agency now has until the end of the year to get that project completed.
The authority is using $900,000 in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds that were previously required to have been used up by by the end of June.
Howard Gibson, director of modernization for the authority, said the construction site at Charlton Street and Martha Berry Boulevard has been underwater much of the time this spring, but slabs for all five of the duplex units are close to complete.
It will still be two to three weeks before framing work becomes readily visible, if the weather permits, he said.
Another issue the board discussed is plans for renovations at the Ashland Park Apartments.
Gibson told the authority board that he has been having a difficult time getting construction costs for a complete renovation of the complex within budget for that project.
“As of now the cost is approximately $11,500,000 and we really need to get it a little less than that,” Hudson said.
She said the budget needs to be trimmed by a million dollars in order to proceed with the plans.
Other plans have been put on hold.
Work with consultants for use of a $1.25 million Choice Neighborhood planning grant along the Maple Street corridor in East Rome has stopped, pending the ability to conduct additional community meetings.
“We have to have so many meetings with the residents (in the service area) so HUD has agreed that we can just put that on hold,” Hudson said.
Consultants wanted to conduct some meetings by conference call but Hudson said she felt it was too important to have face-to-face meetings in the community that would be impacted by the grant.
“The HUD office totally agreed,” Hudson said.
One part of that neighborhood overhaul will involve the demolition and rebuild of the John Graham Homes housing community bounded by Cedar Avenue, East 12th Street and Crane Street.
Hudson also explained to the board that HUD had not yet formally approved the NWGHA taking over management of the Cave Spring Housing Authority properties.
“There is a lot of work down there to be done,” Hudson said.