Pennrose Begins LGBTQ-Friendly Senior Redevelopment
The $13 million project is Cincinnati's first age-restricted affordable housing community of its kind.
John Arthur Flats. Image courtesy of Pennrose
A partnership between Pennrose and Northsiders Engaged in Sustainable Transformation has broken ground on John Arthur Flats, a 57-unit community in Cincinnati.
The $13 million redevelopment will be the city’s first fully affordable housing community dedicated to LGBTQ seniors. The community is expected to come online next summer.
Fifth Third Bank provided a $7.6 million senior mortgage for the redevelopment, according to Hamilton County public records. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency has allocated 9 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits, with CREA as the equity syndicator. Additional backers include the City of Cincinnati, which provided $1 million HOME funding and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, with financing given through its Affordable Housing Program.
Located within the Northside neighborhood at 4145 Apple St., the three-story building will feature studio, one- and two-bedroom units for residents earning between 30 to 60 percent of the area median income. The community will encompass a fitness center, outdoor terrace and laundry facility. Supportive services will be available for residents, backed by Pennrose Management Co., nonprofits Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio and CAIN, as well as the metro’s AIDS Service Organization, Caracole.
John Arthur Flats is within walking distance of several shopping and dining options and the McKie Community Center, while the Parkers Woods Nature Preserve is less than a mile away. Downtown Cincinnati is 6 miles south.
Celebrating local history
Groundbreaking ceremony. Image courtesy of Pennrose
In March, the redevelopment, previously known as Apple Street Senior, was renamed John Arthur Flats. The name honors John Montgomery Arthur, the late husband of Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case which led to the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage.
The development will also feature the Maureen Wood Community Room, commemorating the Cincinnati native who owned the Crazy Ladies Bookstore and organized workshops and classes to empower women.
Earlier in July, Pennrose opened the first phase of its 300-unit development outside Albany, N.Y. The developer partnered with the local housing authority on the two-phase project.
