New Units Being Built by City Housing Authority
By ANDREW CANGIANO
Seven years after a fire destroyed the Washington Village housing complex in Asbury Park, the city has kicked off plans to put a new residential facility at the site.
The new complex, at 1259 Washington Avenue, is the Asbury Park Housing Authoritys first groundbreaking in 40 years.
City Councilman Ed Johnson said the new complex is part of Asbury Parks larger plan to revitalize its west side.
Along with the 12 units planned for the Washington Street site, the city will begin its project to provide affordable housing and commercial retail on Springwood Avenue over the next several months, Johnson said.
This whole west side is just going to be the center of activity, he said.
Stanley Smith, executive director of the housing authority, said the project at 1259 Washington Avenue, which will cost about $1.8 million, is part of a $10-12 million venture between the city and the authority on the street.
Construction on the site could begin within a week once the authority obtains the necessary building permits from the city and residents would likely be able to move into the complex in a year, Smith said Monday.
During the commemoration event Smith said it was the first groundbreaking the authority has had in the last 40 years.
Smith said the relationship between city officials and the housing authority has improved over the last several years, as the authority has worked closely with city manager Terry Reidy.
Jessie Ricks, vice chair of the housing authoritys board of commissioners, said the housing authority has developed a good relationship with the five member city council.
The housing authority has taken significant steps forward since she began serving on it 13 years ago, Ricks said.
It hasnt always been peachy, she said. Weve had some steps forward and some steps back, but we keep stepping.
The units that have been selected to be built on the Washington Village site are two story, two bedroom townhouse units. Eight of the units constructed will front Jersey Street and four will front Church Street.
There is also plans for a one floor handicapped, barrier free unit as part of the new complex.
During a groundbreaking ceremony recently, housing authority members and city officials recounted the events of Jan. 28, 2000, when the 12 unit complex that was part of Washington Village burned to the ground.
City police and housing authority officials recalled that the day of the fire was bitter cold.
Claudia Sweeney, the former director of the housing authority, said that the day was so cold that the water in the fire hydrants froze and that even as firefighters tried to spray the blaze, the water would freeze in mid-air.
The day of the fire was probably one of the worst days of my entire life, she said.
While the complex of houses was completely destroyed, everyone was able to make it out of the building safely and no one was injured, Sweeney said.
Jimmy Roberts, a security official for the housing authority, actually ran into the burning building because he thought a resident was still inside, she said.
As it turned out the missing resident had not been inside, but had gone to the hospital earlier in the day because of a breathing problem.
Roberts, who was able to make it out of the building safely after attempting the rescue, said there were about 50 residents living in the building at the time.
Sweeney said that while the fire was an unfortunate event, it did bring out the best in many people, as the displaced residents (who lost everything they had in the fire) received donations from all over the state and even from Delaware.
The city was also to locate temporary housing for all the displaced residents.
In crises, people in Asbury come together and they step up, she said.
In May of 2005, after reviewing proposals from 15 architectural firms, the housing authority selected Elkin/Sabolta to provide plans and specifications for the project.
City Councilman John Loffreda said the housing authority didnt want the buildings to look like cement and wanted a place residents would be proud to live.
Smith said the Planning Board commended the project as being one of the finest designs for new housing in the city.
The general contractor for the project is Santorini Construction Inc., Neptune.
Smith said the housing authority is landlord of 2,000 city residents and 500 units, including 230 section eight affordable housing units.
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