Developer presents 33‑unit affordable housing concept for city‑owned Main Street site; council gives preliminary support

Commonwealth Development presented a conceptual plan for a 33‑unit affordable housing building on a city‑owned half‑acre site at 1917 Main Street (corner of North 20th and Pullamette) during the Philomath City Council meeting on Aug. 11. The developer described a four‑story mid‑rise with roughly 26 one‑bedroom and seven two‑bedroom units, onsite property management, community room and surface parking, and said all units would be restricted at or below 60% of area median income (AMI) under the proposal.

“...we are long term owner[s],” said Danny DiFrancesco of Commonwealth Development, describing the company—s approach to building and operating affordable properties and noting Commonwealth—s work in Oregon since 2018, including recent projects in Corvallis and Newport. He said the project concept is intended to match Philomath—s scale and character while meeting state…