Press Room

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tabitha J Lacy, Communications, HECA, 205-323-9888; 205-936-8326
Lynn McKinley Smith, Senior Grants Management Coordinator,
Jefferson County Community Development office, 325-5761

HECA, Jefferson County partner to build affordable housing for Lipscomb seniors

LIPSCOMB, Ala — Lipscomb Mayor Jimmie Lee Johnson said his city has long had a need for more affordable housing for seniors.

The Housing Enterprise of Central Alabama (HECA) is partnering with Jefferson County Community Development officials and others to help fulfill that need. The partners hosted a ground breaking today (Wednesday, March 2) for Oak Park Villas, a $3.66 million 40-unit rental complex for seniors and seniors with special needs. The event was held at the old Lipscomb Park, which is located off Avenue G just adjacent to the Oak Park Villas property.

"Oak Park Villas will provide the community a secure haven for seniors," Mayor Johnson said. "We eagerly anticipate its construction, and look forward to working with its staff."

The Housing Enterprise of Central Alabama is a 12-county affordable housing initiative that partners with its non-profit affiliate, the Housing Fund of Central Alabama, to loan money to non-profit and for-profit developers to build safe, decent, moderately priced housing. HECA will provide a $1.1 million construction loan and nearly $400,000 in permanent financing for the development. Jefferson County is using approximately $2 million in HOME funds for the project.

"We are excited about the revitalization in the Lipscomb area," said Commissioner Shelia Smoot. "This is one of the many projects hitting the ground in an area that has been neglected for far too long."

Funding partners include: Alabama Housing Finance Authority (administering $1.1 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits); Compass Bank (land acquisition financing); and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides HOME funds to participating jurisdictions.

"We're proud to be a partner in this much-needed development," said Michele Jenkins-Utomi, Chief Executive Officer of the Housing Enterprise of Central Alabama.

Oak Park Villas is sponsored and developed by the non-profit Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama, Inc., of Rainsville. The agency is an affordable housing developer with more than 35 years experience fighting poverty in Alabama. Co-developer Vantage Development, based in Fyffe, has more than 30 years of real estate experience in development, construction and property management, with nearly 700 apartment units. The developers expect to complete the project in spring 2006.

Oak Park Villas will serve seniors ages 55 and over whose incomes are at or below up to 60 percent of the HUD Area Median Income. The development will consist of one- and two-bedroom apartments. Fourteen units will be fully handicapped accessible. Rents are estimated to be in the $325-$375 range. Units will have patios and outside storage closets. A community building will include a residents' room complete with kitchen, and a central laundry facility. A gazebo and covered pavilion is planned, with picnic tables and a grill.

For this quiet town of 2,400 located just north of Bessemer, bulldozers will be a welcome sight.

Mayor Johnson said it is one of the most expansive construction projects since he moved to the one-time mining community seven years ago.

The City Council approved a rezoning of the property in 2003, and the sale was completed in 2004.

"This is a promising time for the city," Mayor Johnson said. "This development has boosted morale in all of Lipscomb's citizens, and created a foundation for progress in the New City of Lipscomb."

Commissioner Smoot said the development is part of a larger plan to help revitalize the city.

City and County officials say they hope the development will spur interest in cleaning up the old Lipscomb Park, which opened in the 1950s but hasn't been used in several years. The park has a walking track and other recreational areas, including a basketball/tennis court.

While located in a wooded, secluded area, the development is near to shopping, retail, grocery, pharmacy and medical facilities. Lipscomb City Hall and the police station and volunteer fire department are just around the corner. Construction is set to begin soon on a new fire station - another milestone for the city. Also nearby, New Beginnings Church of the Living God has launched a major expansion.

Over the past decade, Jefferson County Community Development has completed more than 100 senior housing units using HOME program funds. Other developments are underway in Brighton and Homewood.

HECA is a joint venture of its investor institutions: AmSouth, Regions Bank, Compass Bank and New South Federal Savings Bank. Investors in the Housing Fund include The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, the Community Foundation of Calhoun County and the Walker Area Community Foundation in Jasper.

HECA, a Region 2020 housing initiative, serves the following communities: Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chilton, Cullman, Etowah, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega, Tuscaloosa and Walker Counties.