Two development companies will work with the Orlando Housing Authority to replace six deteriorating public housing complexes with brand-new, higher-density residential communities, GrowthSpotter reported, including the pollution-plagued Griffin Park next to Interstate 4.

Miami-based Related Urban Construction and New York-based Property Markets Group were awarded bids to deliver thousands of units to a total of 125 acres across Orange County at a time when nearly 15,000 people are on a list awaiting affordable options.

The Housing Authority announced in April of 2019 its intention to demolish six aging public-housing complexes — Reeves Terrace Apartments, Lake Mann Homes, Murchison Terrace Apartments, Lorna Doone Apartments, Ivey Lane Homes and Griffin Park —and move residents to a voucher system.

That decision came after the agency received notice from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that it no longer has the money to rehabilitate public housing developments that need extensive repairs, including Orlando properties that are saddled with mold, rotting roofs, termites, rats and out-of-date electrical systems.

By demolishing these 1,002 units, the local housing authority stated plans to rebuild on the land using state tax credits and other financing that will likely be less expensive in the long run.

Wedged between I-4 and S.R 408 within Orlando’s historically Black Parramore neighborhood, the 82-year-old Griffin Park complex was vacated amid complaints of noise and air pollution. The unlivable conditions, believed to put residents at increased risk of cancer, made national headlines.

Vivian Bryant, the executive director of OHA, told GrowthSpotter that the site can host a new housing project now that an I-4 ramp on the west side of the property has been removed.

In August, OHA submitted a request for qualifications seeking a developer to take on the new projects.  According to bid solicitation documents, OHA wants to see mixed-income communities with a range of housing types.

“This is obviously a huge redevelopment opportunity,” said Dan Coakley, a partner at PMG Affordable who has taken on similar projects with other housing authorities across Florida. “It gives us the ability to take outdated public housing stock and build beautiful mixed-income housing developments here.”

He said these existing public housing complexes, built between 1940 and 1971, are spread across large swaths of land with one and two-story buildings. The sites, he said, can accommodate much greater residential density than what’s there currently.

“Some of these sites are incredibly well-located,” Coakley said. “I would expect that one of the goals will be to significantly increase density to be able to really eat a chunk out of the problem of affordable housing in the Orlando area. There just aren’t a lot of other sites where you can deliver that at scale.”

It’s too early to tell what these redevelopment projects will ultimately look like. But one example was provided to the Orange County Commission in July.

The Orlando Housing Authority presented a concept plan for Lake Mann Homes, which consists of 207 units at 624 Bethune Dr.

Plans show a 245-unit mixed-income community with single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes and a senior apartment building. Twenty of the units would be set at market-rate prices.

A community center, central park, and ball fields are included in plans presented to the commission.

“This is a twinkle in our eyes,” Bryant told commissioners. “We have developed a concept for what we’d like to see Lake Mann Homes look like.”

Of the public housing complexes slated for redevelopment, only Griffin Park sits empty. A demolition permit has been issued by the city.

On an average day, tens of thousands of drivers pass by the site on neighboring ramps and roads, while hundreds of thousands more file along the interstate.

Researchers have found that neighborhoods built along major roadways are exposed to pollutants linked to heart and lung disease, high blood pressure and some cancers. Generally, the closer the road, the worse the exposure.

Griffin Park was the subject of a 2018 Huffington Post article with the headline: “Even Breathing Is A Risk In One Of Orlando’s Poorest Neighborhoods.”

Despite its history, Bryant said in an email this week that conditions are now more favorable for residential development, and that the agency has been working with an architecture firm on concepts for a new project.

“The removal of the (I-4) ramp gives us design options,” Bryant said in an email. “The architect will develop concepts. I believe we can design residences that are no longer under the expressway.”

More affordable housing is necessary. There are 11,635 households on the public housing waiting list and 14,638 households on the section 8 program waiting list, Bryant said. Those waiting lists are closed to new applicants.

Bryant said negotiations with the developers are set to begin soon. It’s not yet been determined how the workload will be divided among the companies.

Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at (407)-800-1161 or dwyatt@GrowthSpotter.com. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.