McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS) is helping to provide affordable housing and revitalize the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood in its hometown of St. Louis.
The neighborhood suffered from severe disinvestment over the years, but the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church had stayed committed and approached MBS about partnering on a mixed-use, multi-phased development.
Working with the church and the St. Louis Housing Authority, the development team created the 112-unit mixed-income Arlington Grove, which included a historic renovation of the abandoned Arlington School into loft apartments, new townhouses and garden apartments, a mixed-use building with apartments over retail, and new infrastructure.
The development was built with a focus on sustainability, earning Enterprise Green Communities certification.
“It is part of our company philosophy to really promote and maintain sustainability throughout our design principles,” says Ron Roberts, MBS vice president.
The project received a Department of Housing and Urban Development Green Communities grant. Green features include an 82-kW photovoltaic system that will produce more than 10 percent of the site’s energy needs, water-permeable and reflective pavement, EPA WaterSense fixtures, and native landscaping.
Completed in September, the $34.8 million project was financed with federal and state low-income housing and historic tax credits. Equity was provided by Enterprise Community Investment and Citi Community Capital.
