Three Exemplary Workforce Housing Developments Selected For Inaugural ULI/J. Ronald Terwilliger Workforce Housing Models of Excellence Awards
For more information, contact: Marge Fahey, 202-624-7187; mfahey@uli.org
MIAMI (October 29, 2008) – The ULI Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing has selected The Boulevard in Anaheim, Legacy at Lincoln Park, and Morgan Woods as winners of the first annual ULI/J. Ronald Terwilliger Workforce Housing Models of Excellence Awards. The awards are given to workforce housing developments that represent outstanding achievements in several areas, including innovative financing, unique construction methodologies, strong public/private partnerships, and replicability to achieve workforce housing affordability. The award winners were announced at the ULI Fall Meeting in Miami, Florida.
The Models of Excellence Awards recognize exemplary developments that meet workforce housing needs in high-cost communities. Thirty-four submissions were reviewed throughout the United States. Each of the three winning projects had at least 25 percent of the units designated for families earning between 60 percent and 120 percent of the area median income; was located near employment centers and transportation hubs; and utilized public capital subsidies for no more than 25 percent of the development costs.
All of the winning developments were bolstered by strong partnerships between the developers and the local municipalities. As a result, each municipality and its residents will benefit from the increased availability of workforce housing in their communities.
The Boulevard in Anaheim (developed by John Laing Homes in Anaheim, California) was transformed from a former truck transfer facility into an affordable, sustainable, and walkable community of 36 townhomes and 20 single-family homes. The City of Anaheim Redevelopment Agency assisted with land acquisition and site clean-up, which enabled the developer to sell units at prices targeted to the 80 percent - 120 percent of area median income range of $84,100 – and 28 of the 36 workforce units are required to remain affordable to the targeted income levels for 45 years. The site is located near major employers and is directly on a main bus line.
The city of Rockville played a key role in the development of Legacy at Lincoln Park (developed by Urban Atlantic Development, LLC in Rockville, Maryland). Working with the city, Urban Atlantic developed a 60-unit, for-sale, mixed-income development on what was formerly an obsolete public housing site. The project serves residents earning between 60 percent - 120 percent of the area median income of $99,000. The city agreed to subordinate its interest in the land to serve as equity for the predevelopment and construction financing.
Morgan Woods (developed by The Community Builders, Inc. in Edgartown, Massachusetts) is an example of a community-driven housing effort. The Town of Edgartown assembled and donated 12 acres of land on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, where the median sales price of a home is $702,000 and the area median income is $71,700. The Community Builders, Inc., a nonprofit developer, was selected to build a 60-unit, 21 building rental community, which would double affordable housing on the island. The town entered into a 99-year ground lease with The Community Builders at $1 per year and committed $400,000 to site infrastructure, paid for numerous studies, and negotiated a payment in lieu of taxes, capping real estate taxes for the first 15 years. The site design uses “cluster development” principles with structures that resemble large single-family homes, but contain multi-family units. The site is located close to Edgartown’s commercial center and is within walking distance of the Vineyard Transit Authority, the only regularly scheduled public bus service on the island.
“I congratulate the winners of the Models of Excellence Awards,” J. Ronald Terwilliger, chairman and CEO of Trammell Crow Residential and founder of the ULI Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing, said. “Each of the winning projects is an excellent example of how the public and private sectors can work together to help solve the growing crisis of the lack of availability of workforce housing. Many of the best practices can be replicated in other high-cost areas.”
The winners were announced by Awards Jury Chairman Robert Larson, the Chairman of Lazard Real Estate Partners in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. “We are excited about the quality of these workforce housing projects,” said Larson. “All of the winning projects included a public/private partnership that is crucial in providing housing for the workforce. Through the awards program we hope to raise awareness of the possibilities for building workforce housing by recognizing these outstanding developments.”
In addition to the Award winners, the following developments were selected as finalists:
- College Vista – (Education Housing Partners, affiliate of Thompson Dorfman Partners) San Mateo, California
- Mueller – (Catellus Development) Austin, Texas
- Puerta del Sol – (Avenue 26 Condominiums) Los Angeles, California
- Twelve Centennial Park – (Novare Group) Atlanta, Georgia
The ULI Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing will also release a “Best Practices” publication highlighting these award winning developments. To learn more about the Terwilliger Models of Excellence Awards, please visit: www.uli.org/AwardsAndCompetitions/TerwilligerAwards.aspx.
The Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org) is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 40,000 members.