29 Jul THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF FT. LAUDERDALE AND ATLANTIC | PACIFIC COMMUNITIES OFFICIALLY OPEN THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FIFTH PHASE OF THE NORTHWEST GARDENS NEIGHBORHOOD
FORT LAUDERDALE (Monday, June 12, 2017) – The Housing Authority of the City of Ft. Lauderdale (HACFL) and Atlantic | Pacific Communities (A|P Communities) are pleased to announce the grand opening of the fifth phase of the Northwest Gardens Sustainable Neighborhood and rededication of Dr. William H. Lindsey Apartments. HACFL and A|P Communities will gather with the community on Thursday, June 29 at 10 a.m. to celebrate the grand opening. While HACFL’s Neighborhood Plan anticipated construction of four phases to be complete by spring 2020, this ribbon cutting marks the successful completion of five phases completed three years ahead of goal.
At the same time, Northwest Gardens Phases II and IV, a 266 unit redevelopment completed in 2014, will be re-dedicated as the W.H. Lindsey Apartments in honor of Dr. William H. Lindsey, the great change maker and social justice champion of the Northwest neighborhood. The redevelopment is a leading example of a complex, master plan implementation that transformed one of the most impoverished, drug and crime ridden neighborhoods in the country into a safe, stable, aesthetic, environmentally-friendly, and walkable community.
The $40 million in financing used for the fifth phase of development was provided by Bank of America, N.A.; Barings Real Estate Advisers, LLC; Broward County Housing Finance Authority; Florida Housing Finance Corporation; and Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale. Since 2008, there has been over $200 million of public and private investment in the 660-unit redevelopment of the neighborhood where 1,500 people now reside.
A|P Communities and HACFL collaborated on this development with the goal of revitalizing the community and implementing a sense of place by creating a sustainable neighborhood that promotes urban self-sufficiency and a healthy, safe, accessible living environment.
“In rebuilding these properties with state of the art amenities, we have provided even more opportunities for residents and their families to have a productive, rewarding life,” explains Tam English, Executive Director of the HACFL. “Improved housing and vibrant community partnerships have resulted in lower crime, better school test scores and a happier, healthier community.”
Additionally, Northwest Gardens utilized the Step-Up Apprenticeship Program, a state certified apprenticeship program sponsored by HACFL and the Broward School System and Florida Department of Education. HACFL began this program by employing local residents for maintenance jobs on their properties. The program now includes training apprentices in maintenance, painting, light construction, cabinet-making, urban farming, and other entrepreneurial skills. Employees of the Step-Up Program built and installed all of the kitchen and bathroom cabinetry for Northwest Gardens residential buildings. A|P Communities and HACFL also hosted YouthBuild program participants at Northwest Gardens V, providing hands-on construction training.
“I am proud and honored to stand beside these men and women of the Step-Up Program,” says Scott Strawbridge, HACFL Director of Development and Facilities. “The experience has changed my life and the way I see the world.”
In 2012, the Northwest Gardens neighborhood received the first LEED-ND (neighborhood development) pre-certification in the state of Florida, second in the US, and will achieve LEED-ND Gold certification now that it is complete. The neighborhood was also nationally honored in 2012 with a US EPA Smart Growth Award for Equitable Development.
“It has been a great privilege to partner with the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale to achieve their vision of sustainable redevelopment, and it has been incredibly gratifying to watch the neighborhood transform,” said Ken Naylor, LEED AP and Chief Operating Officer of A|P Communities.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, taking place at 700 NW 12th Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, 33311, will be followed by a tour of the Phase V property and the apartments, which consist of one, two and three bedrooms, with energy efficient air-conditioning, fixtures, and appliances. Members of the Step-Up Apprenticeship Initiative, Artists in Residence and Garden Leader Training will be on hand as tour guides.
For more information about HACFL, please visit www.hacfl.com. For more information about A|P Communities, please visit www.apcommunities.com.