$33 million affordable housing project for Davie


East Village apartments

A new townhome project that will be LEED certified is set to break ground tomorrow, replacing an aging development ravaged by Hurricane Wilma.

The developer, Carlisle, which has launched several affordable housing projects this year in South Florida,  is building East Village in a partnership with the Broward County Housing Authority.

The $33 million development at 7481 NW 33rd Street in Davie will feature 155 units, among the townhomes and will be the second affordable housing project in Florida to receive LEED certification, following another Carlisle development, the LEED-Silver Tallman Pines in Deerfield Beach, a 200-unit rental property.  

East Village, which will be operated and managed by the Broward County Housing Project, is on the site of a 100-unit public housing property that was built in 1975.

“[The old property] was reaching the end of its useful age, and its demise was hastened by Hurricane Wilma,” said Kevin Cregan,CEO of the Broward County Housing Authority, which also partnered on Carlisle with Tallman Pines in 2008.

The Association decided to demolish the property and build affordable units on it. It also has an opportunity to buy 3.2 acres directly next to the site, with the intention of building back 155 units.

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Completion is estimated in about 14 months, and East Village will differ from typical affordable housing because it will be comprised of only townhome structures, not multifamily towers.

It will feature a swimming pool and energy-efficient appliances, with rents starting at $416 per month for residents whose annual incomes range from $15,000 to $49,500. The units average 1,000 square feet.

“You don’t see a townhome layout for affordable housing because it’s expensive, it’s a little more complicated, requires more design dollars up front and some additional construction dollars,” said Ken Naylor, senior vice president at Carlisle.

While there are some financial incentives like tax breaks for green-certified buildings, Naylor said the adjustments necessary to obtain LEED certification ended up making more financial sense in the long term., with, for example, lower long-term energy costs.

Carlisle, along with the Housing Authority of Fort Lauderdale, recently announced an initiative that would grow organic produce in affordable housing projects, with the aim of eventually selling the fruit and vegetables to high-end hotels and restaurants.

The company has also broken ground on a number of new projects in Miami-Dade County, including the Beacon in Overtown and the Brownsville Transit Village Apartments.