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Real estate committee approves SLPS letter of support for Mark Simmons affordable housing project
Summary
The committee voted to provide a letter of support from Saint Louis Public Schools for the Mark Simmons redevelopment project, a low-income, 55+ housing proposal by Fleur de Lys Development Corporation that seeks Low-Income Housing Tax Credit funding and is part of a broader Chapter 99 redevelopment plan.
The Saint Louis Public Schools Real Estate Committee voted Sept. 15 to provide a letter of support from SLPS for the Mark Simmons redevelopment project, a proposal by Fleur de Lys Development Corporation that seeks low-income housing tax credits and plans to convert Simmons Elementary School into senior affordable housing.
Laura Hughes, representing Fleur de Lys Development Corporation, described the project and its context in the Ville neighborhood. Hughes said she purchased the Simmons property about a year ago and intends to renovate it into a 100% low-income, 55-and-older building with 58 units. She said the project is part of a larger Ville Chapter 99 redevelopment plan covering roughly 600 parcels and that a 25-year tax abatement was approved by LCRA in 2022 for the redevelopment area. Hughes said she is pursuing competitive 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), state and federal historic tax credits and other financing, and that rising costs (including Buy America requirements) affect the capital stack but that she plans to preserve affordability through the chosen financing strategy.
Hughes described steps taken to secure the property and protect it from nuisance activity after the May 2025 tornado, including boarding and locking openings and coordinating neighborhood cleanups. She said prior demolition and insurance work was performed, and she described plans to provide on-site supportive and senior services, to coordinate with Tandy Recreation Center and the Board of Elections for on-site services, and to host a farmers-market-style open market in the building’s green space.
Committee members asked technical questions about LIHTC (competitive 9% credits versus the noncompetitive 4% program) and about the project’s capital stack and timeline. Hughes said the timeline depends on receiving all layers of funding; she estimated 12 months for construction once financing and tax-credit closings are complete. Hughes requested a letter of support from SLPS; a committee motion to provide a letter was moved and seconded and passed on roll-call vote by committee members present. No conditions were recorded in the motion.
The committee’s approval was framed as a letter of support to accompany the project’s LIHTC application; staff will prepare the letter for the board.
