|
News: (show all)
J.W. King Senior Center Now Under CPM Management
The Living Legacy of Margaret Murray Washington
Photos from House of Lebanon Groundbreaking Ceremony
Historic MM Washington School to Provide Senior Housing
Hyacinth’s Place Opens its Doors
Hope Springs Anew: Hyacinth's Place
J.W. King Senior Center Now Under CPM Management Thursday, November 01, 2012
The Joseph W. King Senior Center is home to 74 seniors and a 7,000 sq. foot child development center. This project was developed by Mission First in 2006 in conjunction with First Rock Baptist Church, and CPM took over management on September 1, 2012.  As with many of our properties, there is a good story behind this development: Before the center was built, many senior members of First Rock Baptist Church either struggled to afford rapidly rising rents, or crowded into the homes of family members or friends. The church leadership knew something had to be done. They had already built 15 single-family town homes for low- to moderate-income families, and they envisioned an affordable home for seniors to fully meet the needs of the community. After 10 years, a number of developers, and an investment of $600,000, the parcel of land that was intended for the senior development was still an empty lot. Finally in 2002, First Rock Baptist got connected to Mission First and the project moved into fast forward. In less than two years, MissionFirst enabled First Rock to bring the J.W. King Senior Center to completion. The 74-unit low-rise building consists of a combination of both one- and two-bedroom units, with 12 units being handicapped accessible. In keeping with their goal to provide affordable housing to the elderly, residents pay on a sliding scale, wherein they pay no more than 30 percent of their income. The bright and modern units include individual heat/air conditioning controls, state of the art kitchen amenities, including built-in microwaves in every unit, wall-to-wall carpet and a laundry room on each floor. The large community room and adjacent landscaped patio serve as the social hub for residents. Bringing further vitality to this living situation, interaction is encouraged between the senior residents and the youngsters who attend the daycare center on the first floor. When CPM began managing this property on September 1, 2012, we were fortunate to add Mr. Eldon Hall and Mr. Eric Prue to our staff ranks at that time. Mr. Hall has been overseeing this property since it was built, and has an excellent rapport with the residents. Mr. Prue has also been working at the property for a number of years. In fact, at one point, he was the only full time employee at the facility for nearly a year, doing double duty—office as well as maintenance. Currently, Ms. Angela Polk is the Property Manager for J.W. King. She previously worked at Dahlgreen Courts Apartments.
- Sanchia Gomez /Elizabeth Askew
The Living Legacy of Margaret Murray Washington Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Today, Hamel Builders, General Contractor for the House of Lebanon, held a job fair to hire people from the surrounding community to work on the rehabilitation of this historically significant building.   Thirteen subcontractors were on-site, and 22 people who live in the local neighborhood came out for interviews. The job seekers were registered with the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services and qualified as local hires for our job efforts. Each subcontractor was asked to hire one person, in an effort to create 13 new jobs. Several job offers were made out of this process. The hiring is still in process as the subcontractors will not hire until we reach their part of construction. To date, two hires have been made. Labels: adaptive reuse, Enterprise Green Communities, historic tax credits, House of Lebanon, preservation, rehabilitation, senior Photos from House of Lebanon Groundbreaking Ceremony Wednesday, August 15, 2012
 .jpg) .jpg)   Labels: adaptive reuse, historic tax credits, House of Lebanon, preservation, rehabilitation, senior Historic MM Washington School to Provide Senior Housing Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The building was originally constructed in 1912 as the O Street Vocational School, designed to encourage training in the mechanical, craft, and domestic skills as workers had to adapt to increasingly mechanized industry and transition to factory work from more traditional apprenticeships. Female students greatly outnumbered males and following a steep decline in the enrollment of male students during World War I, the school shifted its curriculum to “domestic” instruction. In 1926 it was renamed for the late widow of Booker T. Washington, a leader of several African-American feminist organizations. During World War II, the school expanded its course offerings to include nursing. Its graduates were lauded by the military and the evening nursing program grew in popularity and was soon accredited. As young veterans returned from war, the school re-opened its doors to male students, many of whom participated in the nursing program or concentrated in tailoring and food service. The M.M. Washington School became part of a cluster of five important African-American schools in the Shaw neighborhood. The schools illustrated the evolution of public education and facilities for African-American students in Washington, and were a significant example of vocational schools through much of the twentieth century. The M.M. Washington School closed in 2008, and Mission First Housing Development Corporation and its partners, Mt. Lebanon CDC and Urban Matters LLC, were awarded the site in 2009 by the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. The adaptive reuse of the building will preserve its historic integrity while bringing much needed affordable housing and community space to a transforming neighborhood. The project will comply with Enterprise Green Communities and utilize 4% low-income housing tax credits, historic tax credits, and tax-exempt bonds. Development in the greater area, NOMA (North of Massachusetts Avenue) is booming with numerous new federal government office buildings and a full service Harris Teeter grocery store. According to the NOMA Business Improvement District, NOMA has leased more than three million square feet of commercial office space in the last three years, including three residential buildings. The accessibility to several bus routes, the New York Avenue Metro Station, and North Capitol Street makes this neighborhood a prime area for development. House of Lebanon will further add to the growth of the neighborhood while offering its residents many resources of a re-emerging urban community.
- Kate Murray
Labels: adaptive reuse, historic tax credits, House of Lebanon, low income housing tax credits, senior Hyacinth’s Place Opens its Doors Thursday, October 20, 2011 “Tall, beautiful, and real...” Hyacinth’s Place celebrated it official opening today. Designed to serve homeless women with a mental health diagnosis, Hyacinth’s offers on-site, comprehensive therapeutic and social re-integration services. This project represents six years of collaboration between the Institute of Urban Living and Mission First. Labels: homeless, Hyacinth's Place, new construction, senior Hope Springs Anew: Hyacinth's Place Monday, December 20, 2010
 Construction at Hyacinth's Place is wrapping up. This project provides 15 units of permanent, affordable housing for homeless women recovering from mental illness. Half of the units are set aside to serve elderly women. On-site, comprehensive therapeutic and social re-integration services will be available. The modern design of the building reflects a fresh start for the residents and the neighborhood and incorporates green building principles in alignment with the regenerative spirit of the project. Hyacinth’s Place is intended to create an environment where women can work and live together in a place which nurtures and supports their recovery. Mission First HDC is providing development assistance for the Institute of Urban Living, a local nonprofit. The project is financed through a combination of grants and loans from the District of Columbia’s Department of Mental Health, Department of Housing and Community Development and a grant from the Cornerstone Foundation. CONSTRUCTION UPDATES: December 2010.... 25% complete   March 2011.... 75% complete   June 2011.... Construction is complete and final inspections are underway!    Labels: homeless, Hyacinth's Place, senior |
