Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affordable Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council briefed on housing projects: Kerr Street, tiny homes design work, Malvern bids and a new revolving construction fund
Summary
City housing staff told the council that the Kerr Street construction contract is in place and that design work on a Corbin Street tiny‑homes project is advancing while higher-than-expected bids on the Malvern property are prompting staff to consider a larger‑scale redevelopment to increase units.
Housing staff updated the council on several housing projects and program initiatives. Dr. Graham (housing staff) told council the Kerr Street project has a construction contract in place and construction is expected to begin within about 30 days. The city selected the firm WorkPlace (listed as the architectural firm) to lead design for the Corbin Street tiny‑homes project; staff will visit prefab manufacturers this week to review models and build options. The Corbin Street effort remains in design and procurement planning. On the Malvern property, staff said bids for construction came in higher than anticipated for the originally planned number of units. The housing team presented a plan B that would remove the existing building and reconfigure the site to yield more units at a lower cost per unit. Dr. Graham said the plan B could raise unit count from five to somewhere between seven and ten depending on the final design; the construction committee will reconvene to select the preferred path. Staff also reported they received eight responses to an RFQ for marketing and communications services related to permanent housing partners and WeBuild and that they have launched (or will soon launch) a webpage and application process for a revolving construction fund designed to provide gap financing for nonprofit and partner development projects. Council asked clarifying questions about the Malvern unit counts and timeline; staff said they will meet with the lowest bidder one more time but do not expect the price to fall to the originally budgeted level.
