Approved Grove Manor Redevelopment Plan Includes New Downtown Apartment Buildings

With a minimum of discussion, the Lake Wales City Commission this week unanimously approved a Special Exception Use Permit to allow a multi-family Planned Development Project for the redevelopment of the aging 120-unit Grove Manor public housing project.

Robert Connors

The 140-unit Grove Manor public housing complex will be completely removed over the coming three years, to be replaced by a new neighborhood featuring a mixture of apartments, single-family homes, and cottages. Most of the new residential units will be designated as "affordable,' meaning they will be accessible to those earning up to 80% of the median family income inthe area.

"We've been working on this a long time," said Mayor Jack Hilligoss as he called for a vote.

The long-awaited project is the first phase of a multi-phased Master Plan which will take place on 24.74 acres of land that currently contain some 21 of the 69 existing single-story duplexes. Those aging units will be replaced by seven two-story and three-story apartment buildings with a total of 140 units. The completed project is expected to include 308 dwelling units.

Redeveloping the large tract was one of the goals set in the Lake Wales Connected plan, which called for the city to "partner with Housing Authority to produce construction-ready design drawings for Grove Manor redevelopment as a walkable, mixed-income neighborhood,"

The tract lies just north of West Sessoms Avenue, three blocks north of recently-reconstructed Park Avenue and fonts upon North First Street, which is also slated for streetscape reconstruction. The plan, developed by urban planners from Dover, Kohl & Partners, described the opportunity to improve the neighborhood through a mix of market-rate and affordable housing to help repopulate the downtown area with the intention of increasing the pedestrian support for local retailers and restaurants.

"Instead of simply replacing the existing units, the site could become a complete mixed-income neighborhood, including the same amount of public housing plus moderate income and market rate units," the plan said. That is what is now occurring.

In keeping with the Connected plan, the new apartment buildings will be constructed a close building-to-street relationship. Parking will be at the rear of the apartments, creating a scenic street setting. The project is being designed by GHA Architects and Consultants of Deerfield Beach.

Courtesy City of Lake Wales

The site plan for the redevelopment of Grove Manor depicts a variety of housing types and shaded, curving streets. The project will be completed in three annual phases as tax credits are received.

The project will be funded largely through an award of federal income tax credits worth over $21 million. After three rounds of failed applications, a Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency contribution of $1 million apparently helped to sweeten the prospects and the grant was awarded.

The initial phase will include four apartment buildings along with associated parking and a clubhouse that will serve the future phases. The four buildings will include a total of 78 units.

Each of the three phases being constructed under a contract with the Lake Wales Housing Authority will include two-story and three-story multifamily buildings with a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. According to the staff report prepared for the commission, "phases 2 and 3 may include a variety of housing types."