New Senior Affordable Housing Community in Orange County’s Pine Hills Neighborhood Breaks Ground
Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and District 6 Commissioner Victoria P. Siplin recently joined local leaders and residents for the groundbreaking of a soon-to-be senior affordable housing community located in Pine Hills.
Hawthorne Park, developed by Wendover Housing Partners, will be a 120-unit development and will replace a portion of an underutilized shopping center and become the new anchor for revitalization in Pine Hills. Hawthorne Park is an example of successfully utilizing public-private partnerships to address the need for more affordable housing.
“Since taking office in 2018 and creating Orange County’s Housing for All Task Force, I have made it known that providing short and long-term affordable housing options for Orange County residents is a priority,” said Mayor Demings. “This ground breaking at Hawthorne Park demonstrates how strong that commitment is and what can be accomplished when the private and public sector work together.”
“Putting up the building is the easy part when creating a new affordable housing community,” said Jonathan L. Wolf, founder and CEO of Wendover Housing Partners. “The hard part is the effort that it takes to get to where we are today. Hawthorne Park is the result of a truly cooperative effort between Orange County, private enterprise, members of the Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District and a grassroots effort of residents working to improve the Pine Hills area, which dates back to the early 1950s.”
Hawthorne Park will cost an estimated $27.6 million to develop; financing includes a $250,000 grant from Orange County, a $317,500 loan from Orange County, as well as $2.3 million in low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) from Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Slocum Platts Architects is designing the complex and Roger B. Kennedy Inc. is the general contractor. Construction is expected to take about one year.
Designed for senior residents 55 and older, Hawthorne Park will offer a mix of one-bedroom, one-bath and two-bedroom, two-bath units, with rents starting at approximately $740/month for one-bedroom units, $880/month for two-bedroom units.
The apartment homes will feature high-end amenities, including a fitness center, theater room, activities room with kitchen, computer room and library, dog walk, as well as a community garden, gazebo with seating and outdoor grilling area.
Hawthorne Park is located at 5386 Silver Star Rd.