Photos from Mayor Greg Fischer’s Facebook Page.
Louisville, Ky., – A new chapter is starting for a formerly blighted public housing complex in Louisville.
Mayor Greg Fischer said Tuesday, the nearly four-year-long project at the Sheppard Square apartments is almost finished.
“We love to see historic areas of our cities go through this type of revitalization for mixed use and mixed income,” he said. “As you can see, the work product is great, the citizen response has been fantastic as well.”
The estimated $100 million dollar development project includes 287 rental units and 23 home ownership units in both single and multi -family homes.
The first residents started moving in, in March of 2014.
Reneisha Woods, site manager at Sheppard Square, says since then she’s received great feedback.
“I have been in management for 20 years and I have never seen something like Sheppard Square,” she said. “They really did go above and beyond so people are really dying to get into those units.”
The apartments also come with rooftop solar panels, and energy-saving appliances.
“The tubs, toilets, washers, dishwashers, everything is energy efficient to make the utilities as low as possible,” said Woods. “And from talking to the residents, it’s working.”
Rent is based on 30 percent of a person’s income.
The waiting list to secure an apartment based on income is two to five years.
However, if you are over the income limit, there are market-rate apartments available.
Mayor Fischer says the project will help attract other investors to the area.
“When you see this kind of public investment, then you start seeing the private investors come in and start developing in adjacent areas, which leads to this kind of virtuous development,” he said.
Officials say the work done at Sheppard Square is a model of what can be done in other neighborhoods.
They say the next task will be to revitalize the Russell Neighborhood.
Construction in Sheppard Square is set to wrap up in Summer of 2016.
