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Developers Continue To Seek Funding For Jackson Spring Housing Project

Photos of dilapidated houses and conceptual drawings of the new proposed Jackson Spring housing development project. Citizen’s Opportunity for Development & Equality Inc. and The NRP Group are applying for $12 million in state funding to demolish eight dilapidated houses and to construct the new housing development. Submitted photos

Redeveloping a deteriorating city neighborhood is one reason why developers are continuing to apply for state funding to potentially build a new housing complex along North Main and Spring streets.

Citizen’s Opportunity for Development & Equality Inc. and The NRP Group, a privately held national multi-family housing development firm, will be resubmitting a funding application for $12 million to the state Housing and Community Renewal for the Jackson Spring housing project. Last year, the organizations partnered together for the housing project, but weren’t successful in being funded. Patrick Morris, CODE Inc. executive director, said they will be resubmitting the funding application by the deadline on Friday.

Morris said there have been some changes to the design of the housing complex. He said there will now be two complexes. One building will have 36 units, with 28 one bedroom and eight two-bedroom apartments. Across the street will be the second complex, which will be seven town houses, five with two bedrooms and two with three bedrooms.

Morris said, if funded, the money will be used to demolish dilapidated houses and to build the new housing development. He said the front of the apartment complex will face North Main Street, with a parking lot located behind the facility along Spring Street.

”That is one of the big parts of this development is we will be demolishing eight buildings at no cost to the city. Anything being demoed, we are covering the costs,” he said.

The new housing complex, if approved, will also be the new location for Southwestern Independent Living Center and CODE will be working with the Chautauqua Blind Association to assist the visually impaired.

”We’re reaching out to people in the community who have needs. Southwestern Independent Living Center assist people with physical disabilities. There is always a demand for people with mobility problems to find housing. The units will include elevators to assist them. This will give (Southwestern Independent Living Center) brand new office space to better help their consumers. It will give them storage space too. They have an inventory of durable stuff like hospital beds and walkers that they need to store, and this will allow that,” he said. ”The (Chautauqua Blind Association) works with those with vision problems. They need buildings with elevators too because they can have problems going up and down stairs.”

Morris said there will be a public meeting at Euclid Gardens, located at 28 Euclid Ave., at 7 p.m. today on the new housing development. He said, so far, he has spoken to a lot of neighbors who are in favor of the project because of the improvements it will bring to the neighborhood.

”People are enthusiastic about it because it can rebuild the neighborhood,” Morris said. ”We have to rebuild the city and we can start by rebuilding Spring Street.”

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