Two manufacturing sites that had been eyesores for the rural community of Clinton, Ind., have been redeveloped into needed affordable housing for families.
Meadow Park Apartments, which included the adaptive-reuse of a former garment factory and the demolition of a former plastics building to make way for new construction, stemmed from community support. The new development comprises two separate properties, Meadow Park Flats and Meadow Park Villas, within close proximity to one another.
Indianapolis-based developer Herman & Kittle Properties partnered with Little Italy Festival Town (LIFT), a nonprofit that has held the Little Italy Festival in this western Indiana community every Labor Day weekend since 1966 and has a community development mission.
“LIFT wants to grow the community and keep it nice and vibrant. Cleaning things up and keeping young people in the area was a big sell for them,” says Erika Scott, Herman & Kittle vice president for development, Midwest. “Meadow Park is LIFT’s pride and joy. We just helped them realize their vision.”
The 60 units, which serve households earning 30% to 60% of the area median income, are filling a need in the community. Flooding a few years ago impacted Clinton’s housing stock, with some homes unable to be rehabbed or rebuilt. In addition, apartment options are scarce in the immediate area.
A gut rehab was done on the more-than-90-year-old garment factory to create the 14-unit Meadow Park Flats. About five miles away, Herman & Kittle built the 46-unit Meadow Park Villas. Both properties received LEED Silver certification.
The $8.1 million development, which was completed at the end of October, was financed primarily with low-income housing tax credit equity. However, the city of Clinton also was critical to the development, removing the debris from the former garment factory as well as providing a 10-year tax abatement.
