Pelletier Place

Taunton, MA

In May 2011, the Taunton Housing Authority (THA) and Trinity were awarded a $22 million HOPE VI Revitalization Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). In addition to the HOPE VI grant, private equity resources and other public funds were used to rehabilitate the distressed 150-unit Fairfax Gardens public housing development.

Fairfax Gardens was built in 1951 as an isolated, 150-unit, barracks-style development in the middle of a low-density, single-family neighborhood. The units were clustered on a third of the 43-acre site, leaving the remaining acreage open as meadows and wetlands. The development's infrastructure, utilities, and many building components were original to the site, outdated, and in need of complete replacement. The buildings were neither energy-efficient nor accessible. The units were cramped and much smaller than current space standards dictate, and mold, pests, and deteriorated finishes were problems throughout. The distressed conditions at Fairfax Gardens not only negatively impacted residents' health and quality of life but also lowered the property values of nearby homes. The award of the HOPE VI grant allowed for the complete demolition and reconstruction of Fairfax Gardens.

The new project, renamed Bristol Commons, de-densified the existing site, replacing the 150 units across two distinct sites with a newly redeveloped total of 160 units. Once redeveloped, the site contained 80 townhomes and eight duplex units, as well as new site infrastructure, a community center, community gardens, green space, a basketball court, and other community amenities. The 88 units in the Bristol Commons phase included one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units, with 78 of them designated as affordable for households earning between 0–60% of the Taunton area median income. Returning residents were given first priority to move back into the newly created development. The majority of the families were considered extremely low-income and required operating subsidies from the THA. These operating subsidies allowed all residents to pay only 30% of their income as rent. The remaining ten units were market-rate and had no income restrictions.

The second site to be developed was located in downtown Taunton in a transit-oriented development (TOD) overlay district. The Parcel 6A-2 site was adjacent to public transit and other services. Named Lenox Green, the Parcel 6A-2 site included new site infrastructure, 18 townhomes, a three-story, 54-unit mid-rise building with community space and management offices, raised community planting beds, walking paths connecting to local services, a playground, and other community amenities. The 72 units at Lenox Green included one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, all of which were affordable to households earning between 0–60% of the Taunton area median income. The same operating subsidies available to residents of Bristol Commons were also provided to residents of Lenox Green.

The project reached financial closing in July 2012 and was completed in the spring of 2014.

Type
Mixed-Income, Transit-Oriented

Total Development Cost
$69 Million

Units
160 / 0-60% AMI / 2 Bldgs.

Completed
2014

Related Press

See Related Articles

Awards

• 2016 Vanguard Award in the New Construction