What was formerly acres of blighted and abandoned apartments are now going to be home to a small and affordable apartment development. But whether it s a harbinger of better things ahead for the area near Westland Mall remains unclear.
Woda Cooper Companies plans to build 60 affordable apartments for senior residents near the Havenwood Townhomes site, which sits just west of and across Georgesville Road from Hollywood Casino Columbus near Westland Mall.
The apartments are being built in Prairie Township on former Franklin County land bank parcels. The land bank tore down about 40 blighted apartment buildings totaling 760 units, said Curtiss Williams, president and CEO of the land bank known as the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation.
Megan Dunn knows that the $850 monthly rent she pays for a three-bedroom home in Merion Village on the South Side is a bargain.
And she suspects her landlord knows that, too. Homes in the community just south of German Village are being renovated and resold to new owners, often forcing renters like her to move elsewhere.
As part of ongoing efforts to provide more affordable housing options in Columbus, city officials showed off their latest offering on Monday just a few streets north of Dunn s home.
Dubbed Jenkins Street Lofts, the three-story building consists of 15 one-bedroom units, 30 two-bedroom units, and 15 three-bedroom units. All will be occupied by those having incomes between 30% and 70% of the median income for the area.