Southfield Housing Renovations to Help Low Income, Senior and Disabled Residents
(SNHC Press Release, Feb. 16, 2016)
Southfield, MI -McDonnell Tower Apartments and the tower and townhomes at River Park Place in Southfield are getting a $19.8 million makeover. The Southfield Nonprofit Housing Corporation, in partnership with Southfield-based Larc Community Development Group, worked on behalf of the City of Southfield to make this makeover project possible. Together they secured Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) tax credit financing and a construction loan to renovate the properties, located at Civic Center Drive and Berg Road. In addition to extensive exterior and interior renovations, the affordable rental housing apartments will be getting energy efficiency upgrades which will lower monthly utility costs for residents and reduce the carbon footprint of the buildings.
“The vast renovation and restoration of McDonnell Tower and River Park Place is an outstanding example of how public and private partnerships can help create and preserve quality, affordable housing for low and moderate income residents in Southfield,” said Southfield Mayor and SNHC Board President, Ken Siver. “Once the projects are completed, residents will be proud to call the properties home, and they will serve as a model for what future affordable housing can and should be in Southfield, Oakland County, and throughout Southeast Michigan.”
McDonnell Tower Apartments is an 11-story apartment building that includes 162 units for seniors 62 years of age and older. The River Park Place Apartment complex offers 245 affordable rental housing units, including 182 units for seniors 62 and older, and an additional eight family townhomes. Construction on McDonnell Tower and River Park Place began in August 2015 with a renovation budget of $37,000 to $40,000 for each of the 407 units.
Southfield’s reinvented McDonnell Tower Apartments and River Park Place Apartments and Townhomes will offer modernized, energy efficient and affordable rental housing options. To date, electrical upgrades have been completed, exterior windows and new roofs have been installed, as well as heating and cooling systems, including hot water tanks. Kitchen upgrades include new cupboards, flooring, appliances and lighting, and a fire suppression system above the stove. Bathrooms have received new lighting fixtures, ceramic tile flooring, high-rise low-water-use toilets, new emergency pull cords, bathtubs with “walk-in” feature, and sinks equipped with vanities. Current renovation work includes common areas such as activity rooms, lobbies, hallway doors, carpeting, and elevators.
To better accommodate residents with limited mobility or who are wheelchair dependent, approximately 25 apartments are being converted into handicap accessible units. These units have wider doorways and “roll-in” showers. The handicap units will also be designed with lever handle doors to balconies, rather than sliding doors.
Once all 407 units have been rehabbed, the next phase of renovations will include hallways, common areas, meeting rooms and parking lots. Security systems, including cameras in hallways, lobbies, parking lots and more, are part of the planned upgrades.
For more than 40 years, SNHC has been committed to providing quality, modern, energy efficient, affordable housing in Southfield. The nonprofit organization’s community partners on the project include MSHDA, Citizens Bank, Larc Community Development Group, the Southfield Housing Authority and The City of Southfield. For more information, visit www.snhc.org.
About Southfield Nonprofit Housing Corporation
The Southfield Non-Profit Housing Corporation (SNHC) is organized exclusively to provide housing facilities, and such social recreational, commercial and communal facilities for the purpose of building quality communities and preserving access to affordable housing for seniors, the physically disabled, and families who meet income eligibility requirements set by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the State of Michigan Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Founded in 1973, the nonprofit has developed three properties including McDonnell Tower Apartments, River Park Place Apartments and Townhomes, and Woodridge Apartments. The SNHC is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. For more information, visit www.snhc.org.
 
About Larc
Since 1991, Larc Community Development Group, formerly LarC Properties, Inc., has developed and preserved over 6,000 affordable housing units throughout the state of Michigan including numerous developments for nonprofit organizations. Recognized as an industry leader under the direction of Laurence S. Tisdale, Larc Community Development Group has grown its portfolio to include 29 properties and 3,800 affordable apartments and is currently expanding our development footprint into other states. For more information, visit www.larcgrp.com.
About MSHDA
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) provides financial and technical assistance through public and private partnerships to create and preserve decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents and to engage in community economic development activities to revitalize urban and rural communities.*
*MSHDA’s loans and operating expenses are financed through the sale of tax-exempt and taxable bonds as well as notes to private investors, not from state tax revenues. Proceeds are loaned at below-market interest rates to developers of rental housing, and help fund mortgages and home improvement loans. MSHDA also administers several federal housing programs. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/mshda.