AHA readying revitalization plan draft for HUD review

ALBANY, Ga. — Albany Housing Authority (AHA) Executive Director Dan McCarthy held a community meeting Thursday at Hines Memorial CME Church to update the public on “The Oaks at North Intown” neighborhood transformation plan.

The vision for The Oaks at North Intown is centered on the revitalization of the McIntosh Homes and Golden Age public housing sites.

The AHA is expected to submit a final draft of the plan to HUD by the end of the month.

“After receiving their comments, we expect to submit the final plan to HUD by the end of June,” McCarthy said. “The submission and approval of the plan of the plan will complete our required deliverables under our contract with HUD.”

The plan revolves around HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods Planning program. The AHA’s plan is broken into two phases — Phase I involves the razing and rebuilding of 60 “off-site” multi-family units and the building of 41 new single-bedroom units for a total of 101 units. Total cost is estimated at nearly $15 million.

The second phase, the Oaks at North Intown project, will involve the razing and rebuilding of 252 McIntosh Homes and Golden Age units. that cost is estimated at around $34 million.

McCarthy said the second phase will be paid for by a combination of Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants and the remainder from other sources, primarily Low Income Housing Tax equity.

“The vision is to transform the neighborhood into mixed income housing where people will want to live, McCartney said. “The idea is to entirely transform the neighborhood.”

McCartney stressed the importance of community buy-in to the ambitious plan.

“We’ve got commitments from 18 area partners who have provided letters of commitment to the plan, with in-kind commitments over a five year period for more than $8 million,” McCartney said. “We can’t do this without the support of the community.”

According to McCartney, the revitalization of the McIntosh Homes, Golden Age and West Central Albany is intended to replace deteriorated and physically obsolete public housing with a new market-quality, mixed income community that provides real housing choices for residents.

It also is intended to enhance existing housing, strengthen access to neighborhood retail and create linkages that support educational, health and wellness and employment opportunities.

“The planning for the Oaks at North Intown is about so much more than housing,” McCartney said. “Our goal is to foster the growth of a healthy and diverse community.”