Sunday, October 17, 1999
Laurel Homes planners hail inclusiveness
Bonanza for minorities
BY MARK CURNUTTE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The redevelopment of the Laurel Homes public housing community in the West End will be the largest minority construction project in Cincinnati, says one public housing official.
Donald Troendle, executive director of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), said that the demolition, redesign and rebuilding of Laurel Homes will employ several minority-owned companies.
Local companies selected for project involvement are D.A.G. Construction Co., Winton Place; Village Building Services, Carthage; ACME Construction Services Inc., Walnut Hills.
The general contractor for the project will be H.J. Russell of Atlanta, the nation's largest minority-owned general contractor, Mr. Troendle said. The architect, Moody/Nolan of Columbus, also is minority- owned and has a Cincinnati office.
“CMHA is doing what other people say they're committed to,” Mr. Troendle said.
Hamilton County Commissioners set a goal of 15 percent involvement of women- and minority-owned firms on the Paul Brown Stadium but have fallen short, at about 11 percent.
On Aug. 31, CMHA was awarded a $35 million grant from the federal department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to rebuild Lau rel Homes as a mixed-income neighborhood to include home ownership, market rental and subsidized housing.
The new Laurel Homes will have 630 units, including 130 public housing apartments recently renovated in three buildings at Linn and Liberty streets, as well as 85 others that will be built or renovated off-site throughout the West End.
Demolition is expected to begin in May on the 21-building, 970-unit complex on Ezzard Charles Drive and Linn Street.
Before renovation, Laurel Homes had about 1,100 units.
Last year, CMHA won $31.1 million from HUD to demolish and re build Lincoln Court, a 52-building public housing complex in the West End across Ezzard Charles Drive from Laurel Homes.
Ten of Lincoln Court's buildings are down, and 12 others will be demolished by the end of October.
The new Lincoln Court will have about 500 townhouses and apartments, down from 886 units.
The difference in public housing units available in the West End will be made up for with additional Section 8 subsidized housing vouchers, Mr. Troendle said.
The grants are part of a HUD program called Hope VI, which finances only revitalization and demolition projects.
Under Hope VI since 1993, HUD has approved the tearing down of 53,000 units of the nation's most dilapidated public housing and created, it said, new housing opportunities for 72,000 families.
The principal developer of Laurel Homes will be Concorde/Mid City, of Columbus.
The Lincoln Court developer is The Community Builders. It will be responsible for hiring local and national architects and contractors, selecting two Cincinnati-based project managers; and will own the buildings for 15 years, at which time CMHA will acquire the development.
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