FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Patriot Park has been a highly anticipated Fayetteville project for years now, and construction plans are finally underway.
"We're targeting the end of June, could slip over into July, we're hoping to get approval and then break ground with the real equipment—not just the shovels in August," Developer Jim Petty said.
The Patriot Park is a $12 million dollar project that includes 60 units. Rent varies based on apartment size, with a 1-bedroom costing $400 a month, a 2-bedroom costing $500 a month, and a 3-bedroom costing $600. The project is funded through a combination of low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), home federal block grant funds, and national housing trust funds.
"It's a garden-style layout with very traditional apartments, but the design is made to have the commercial corridor there facing College Avenue, but as we get back towards the residential area it's more of cottage style homes to blend with the neighborhood there."
Although the property is for veterans, Petty says that they still have to meet the qualifications...
"They have to fall within the income limitations of the development. It's set aside as affordable housing with a 'capital A.' I know there are a lot of definitions and discussions as to what 'affordable housing' means. This particular primary funding source provides that it has to be at or below 60% or less of the median income adjusted for family size," Petty explained.
The location of the property is also a major factor, it sits on the corner of North College Avenue and North Street.
"With the close proximity to the VA hospital and UAMS there was obviously a big draw for us, but it really boiled down to the county's desire to serve the veterans in Washington County," Petty says.
Back in 2021 developers and the county did a groundbreaking ceremony on the site in honor of 9/11, but the proposed site is still a vacant lot. At Tuesday's night quorum court meeting Jim Petty said that construction plans are 80% done, and engineering plans are 90% done.
"It was presented to us as [a situation where] this is going to be the start of a really great project to provide some much-needed housing for veterans, and we were all excited to see that happen. I think it was a surprise to all of us that it was going to take this long," Washington County JP Evelyn Rios-Stafford said.
With the ongoing issue of a lack of affordable housing in Northwest Arkansas, Rios-Stafford says this project is a necessity in the community.
"We're in a huge housing crisis right now so every little bit helps, especially a project that's geared towards a certain population of folks who meet those low-income qualifications," Rios-Stafford explained.
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