ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Developer officials held a groundbreaking Monday morning for a new senior affordable housing community in West St. Petersburg.
Bear Creek Commons will be the latest major addition to St. Pete's senior living landscape, Tucker Hall officials said in a news release. Blue Sky Communities, a leading affordable housing developer, held the groundbreaking for their latest project.
The community will be located at 635 64th St. S. and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2024.
Bear Creek Commons will consist of one building with a total of 85 rental units, including 47 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units and 38 two-bedroom, two-bathroom units.
"With Housing Opportunities for All as one of the City's Pillars for Progress, we are working every day to improve housing affordability to address the housing crisis that we're seeing in St. Petersburg and nationwide," St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said in a statement. "Bear Creek Commons is a prime example of an impactful public-private innovation and collaboration that's creating a better future for some of our most vulnerable citizens in St. Petersburg.
"Our seniors and elderly residents- many of them on fixed incomes- are entitled to high-quality affordable housing and that's what Bear Creek Commons will deliver. This is what Inclusive Progress looks like for housing affordability."
City officials have invested $6.6 million in the housing project, including $4.6 million from city funding sources for construction and $2.1 million from the city's Penny Land Trust fund for demolition and acquisition of the former church on the property, according to the news release. Other financial partners, such as Florida Housing Finance Corporation and Raymond James Bank, have assisted to help build the senior living complex.
"Affordable housing is a significant issue for seniors across the United States, and St. Petersburg is no exception," the news release stated. "The aging population often faces housing insecurity due to limited, fixed incomes and increased medical expenses. It often takes a community to handle the challenge."
Bear Creek Commons is reportedly one of the first properties to receive funding from the Penny for Pinellas Affordable Housing Program and will be managed by Carteret Management.
The following amenities will be included in the future for senior residents:
- Fitness room
- Game room
- Large back porch
- Outdoor recreation space
- 24-hour support to assist residents in handling urgent issues
- Resident assurance check-in program
- Adult literacy programs
- Assistance with light housekeeping, shopping and laundry
"It's an amazing project that is going to do amazing things and I'm so excited to have this in District one, on the West side of Saint Petersburg," District 1 St. Pete City Councilmember Copley Gerdes said during a speech at the groundbreaking. "And I was talking to a couple of people last week, this is one of the transformative projects in the West side of Saint Petersburg that I think shows what can happen, what can be, when we all get together and we work together, and we really try to create those opportunities for all."
"Bear Creek Commons is a step in the right direction towards meeting the demand for affordable senior housing in St. Petersburg," Scott Macdonald, a partner with Blue Sky Communities, said in a statement. "We are excited to begin construction and extend our gratitude to our partners for making this project possible.
"We look forward to this being a community asset serving a great purpose for many decades to come."
To learn more about Bear Creek Commons, click here.