Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Development:liberty Square Elderly topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
UDRB approves Liberty Square elderly building (phase) — 132 units for older adults, part of larger redevelopment
Summary
The board approved a 7‑story Liberty Square elderly affordable housing building that contains 132 units and community spaces, accepting a program warrant and waivers related to elderly parking and pedestrian spacing. The project is part of the larger Liberty Square redevelopment and the city/PHCD partnership.
The Urban Development Review Board approved a warrant and waivers for an elderly affordable housing building (part of the Liberty Square master plan) that will deliver 132 dwelling units and roughly 3,000 square feet of office/community space on a southwest block of the Liberty Square site.
Planning staff described Item 4 (PZ2418561) as phase of the Liberty Square redevelopment that uses the Live Local Act framework to deliver attainable mixed‑income elderly housing. The application requested a warrant to establish modified design standards for an attainable mixed‑income program, a warrant for reduced elderly parking and waivers for office parking and pedestrian entrance spacing. The application was before the board because the overall master plan phases exceed 200,000 square feet.
Related‑group representatives and Modus Architects presented the design as a stacked, primarily one‑bedroom unit building with active ground‑floor service spaces (multipurpose room, fitness, computer lab) to support residents. Ivo Fernandez described the building as a stacked elderly product with units oriented to provide daylight to corridors; he noted the ground floor will host services for seniors and a medical tenant in part of the ground‑floor footprint.
Board members supported the building’s simplicity and the way it ties into the completed phases of Liberty Square. Commissioners noted the constrained funding environment for attainable elderly housing and praised the façade articulations and corner treatment. The board voted to approve the application as presented. Staff will continue technical review in coordination with the project team and PHCD (Public Housing and Community Development) per the development agreement.
This approval covers the design and requested waivers for the block portion in this phase; other blocks in the Liberty Square redevelopment will return in future applications as funding and design work proceed.
