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Developers present revised two-building plan for St. Bernard site; HUD financing discussed
Summary
Civitas Development Group updated the Saint Bernard Community Improvement Commission on a two-building, mixed-use proposal with about 180–190 apartments, 280–300 parking spaces and ground-floor retail; the team said HUD 221(d)(4) and conventional loans are both options and outlined next steps on design, demolition and tenant relocation.
Civitas Development Group returned to the Saint Bernard Community Improvement Commission on Nov. 19 to present a revised design and financing plan for the village redevelopment site, laying out a two-building, four-story mixed‑use concept and two financing tracks to reach construction.
The developer, identified at the meeting as Darren of the Civitas team, said the preferred layout splits the project into two four‑story apartment buildings with roughly 180–190 units in total and about 280–300 parking spaces across the site. The plan includes ground‑floor retail adjacent to a small event plaza on Vine Street intended to activate the streetscape and connect to the business district.
The design team, represented by Adam Fosna of GBBN, recapped two years of community engagement and said the process produced goals that emphasized a neighborhood feel and materials reflective of Saint Bernard’s character. "We had 80 people at one session," Fosna said, noting community interest in parking and a village‑like public realm. The team showed streetscape and material concepts using brick, fiber cement and concrete board and described amenity and green buffers to separate units from parking.
Darren and the team described two financing paths. The first is a HUD 221(d)(4) loan that the team said is nonrecourse and requires less developer equity but involves a 9–12 month underwriting process and prevailing‑wage requirements. The second is conventional bank financing that would move faster but require more equity and personal guarantees. The presentation noted that the project has a potential financial guarantor: a Houston‑based firm called Impact that the team said has committed to partner on loan guarantees.
The developer emphasized that, despite the HUD option, the project would be a market‑rate mixed‑use development, not subsidized low‑income housing. "It is not anything where we're creating low income housing... That's not the business that we're in," Darren said in response to a commissioner question.
On near‑term tasks, the team said it will finalize the project’s design, complete required environmental reviews, update the development and operating agreements with the Port Authority, resolve a parking agreement, and coordinate demolition and tenant relocations. The commission was told that the village‑issued RFQ for demolition will first address the First State Bank building, with the shopping center structure to follow; that work is tied to a $339,000 grant from Hamilton County awarded to the village.
Timing will depend on the financing route and final construction costs: the team estimated that a HUD path would likely push substantial activity into Q4 of next year given underwriting timelines, while conventional financing could allow a summer start. The developers said they plan to keep the commission informed as design, contracts and financing progress and to work with the village on tenant relocation and demolition scheduling to avoid underwriting conflicts.
The presentation closed with the team inviting questions from the public and commission and assuring members that they would continue community engagement as design work proceeds. The commission subsequently moved into an executive session to discuss the sale of the property.
