TOLEDO, Ohio, May 1, 2024: The Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH) Board of Commissioners announced that the finalization of a $6.1 million construction loan from Huntington National Bank paves the way for builders to start developing Toledo’s new Park Apartments, an affordable housing community that will serve young adults at risk of homelessness.
The board’s decision means all the necessary funding is now complete for LMH to move forward on its more than $15 million plan to replace the long-vacant and dilapidated former Park Hotel with the new Park Apartments building.
Construction will begin in May, and the complex is tentatively slated to open in late 2025/early 2026. The property is located on a half-acre site at 410 and 414 Wade St. and 201 Knapp St. The site is situated within an established mixed-use portion of south Toledo and is on a bus line.
The four-story, 45-unit Park Apartments building will serve young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 who may be experiencing housing instability or are aging out of the foster care system and need assistance transitioning from high school to adulthood.
“The Park Apartments project represents a historic opportunity to bring housing stability to the lives of young people who are currently homeless or who are struggling to survive by couch-surfing, living in shelters or sleeping in cars,” said LMH Interim President and CEO Rachel Gagnon.
“At the same time, we’re transforming one of Toledo’s former landmarks into a beautiful new structure that will offer a comprehensive list of social service programs to help these young men and women as they enter an important phase of their lives and that will have a major impact on their long-term future,” Gagnon said.
In addition to the Huntington construction loan, the project is funded through nearly $10 million in federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) via the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, more than $3 million from the city of Toledo and a $750,000 grant from Lucas County federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. The federal LIHTC and city’s funding will go toward construction and help LMH pay for long-term project financing costs. The Lucas County Land Bank and city of Toledo funded the $453,000 demolition cost. Lathrop Turner is managing construction of the project.
The Park Apartments development is the first housing investment collaboration between LMH and Community Housing Network. As one of Ohio’s largest and longest-standing providers of permanent supportive housing, CHN has expertise in developing housing for vulnerable populations, including transition-aged youth.
“Beyond housing, the new Park Apartments will stand as a cornerstone for our most vulnerable young adults, offering them not only a stable home but also a pathway to essential services that will pave the way for a brighter future,” said CHN CEO Samantha A. Shuler.
The Park Apartments will include 41 one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments. The complex will include spaces for socialization, counseling and education resources along with a community room with an attached kitchen, a fitness space, laundry and storage.
LMH is introducing at Park Apartments a “Permanent Supportive Housing” residential care system, a model that blends supportive services with property management to ensure optimal outcomes for residents. Local staff with nonprofit Harbor will be among the partners providing a broad range of supports for residents that include trauma-informed case management, employment assistance and job training, life skills training, connection to behavioral/mental health supports, education services, child care connections and food and transportation assistance.
A market study shows the Park Apartments development will be at capacity within three months of opening to tenants.
Tenants will be referred through Lucas County Children Services, the Lucas County Juvenile Justice Center and the local Continuum of Care (Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board). Rent will be income-based. LMH officials estimate the average tenant stay will be 12 to 24 months, though that could vary depending on tenants’ individual needs. Tenants who don’t already have a social worker will have access to one. LMH programs will help tenants find employment, provide transportation to work and ensure a stable transition from foster care to adulthood.
Park Apartments common-area amenities will include a community room with an attached kitchen, a fitness space, laundry facilities and ample storage. There will be on-site parking for both vehicles and bicycles. The project will also feature sustainable design in multiple ways, such as Energy Star-qualified lighting components, windows and appliances; low-flow plumbing fixtures; high-efficiency and appropriately sized HVAC equipment; fresh-air ventilation; use of low volatile organic compound products; and construction to address durability.
Demolition of the Park Hotel began in November 2023. The Park Hotel was built in 1909 and featured more than 100 rooms, a bar and a restaurant. It catered to passengers from the adjacent train station at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, as well as visitors to south Toledo. The hotel closed in 2001, with the bar and restaurant closing soon after, according to Toledo-Lucas County Planning Commission documents.
A structural engineer deemed the old Park Hotel property to be unsafe for occupancy and that reconstruction of the entire building was required, officials said. The engineer determined the building was at serious risk of partial or complete collapse at any time.
Prior to the demolition, LMH implemented a community outreach plan that involved significant public review of the project. LMH staff also continue to meet regularly with elected officials, government leaders and community advocates representing Toledo and Lucas County to keep them updated on the project and ensure they are aware of any relevant public feedback LMH receives.
About Lucas Metropolitan Housing
Established in 1933, Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH) continues to provide affordable housing to adults, seniors and children in its Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Mixed-Income and Market Rate housing units. LMH also provides myriad programs and opportunities designed to improve the total quality of life for our residents, with the ultimate goal of achieving self-sufficiency. The programs and services are the result of successful collaborations with numerous community partners.
Our current housing portfolio consists of 2,633 Public Housing units, 4,657 Housing Choice Vouchers, 322 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units, 198 Market Rate units and 107 Homeownership Properties. There are approximately 17,500 people who reside in LMH properties. Lucas Metropolitan Housing partners with ALL people and organizations willing to exchange ideas and efforts to enhance Toledo, Lucas County and the world.
About Lucas Housing Services Corp.
Established in 2013, Lucas Housing Services Corp. (LHSC) is a nonprofit affiliate of Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH). LHSC is the anchor of the Community Development arm for LMH. LHSC‘s mission is to “provide relief for a community located within low- and moderate-income census tracts by rehabilitating and improving properties subject to blight and foreclosure. Such activities will help relieve conditions of poverty, dependency, chronic unemployment and underemployment in an economically depressed community. Given the unmet need of the community for such relief, LHSC is a critical vehicle for improving the quality and value of the distressed areas.”
LHSC has been serving the community for over 10 years, focusing on creating homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income, first-time homebuyers.
LHSC owns over 100 homeownership properties, and its “Work Your Way Home” program, a one-stop shop toward homeownership, has created more than 40 homeowners in two key neighborhoods that support downtown in North and Central Toledo. LHSC enjoys partnerships with many agencies in the community helping to improve individuals’ and families’ quality of life while stabilizing distressed neighborhoods.
About Community Housing Network
Community Housing Network’s mission is that we create homes that provide residents with the support, stability and community connections they need to live and thrive. Our vision is that people thrive with equitable opportunities, support and communities that value them.
Since 1987, CHN has been a best-practice nonprofit Permanent Supportive Housing organization (PSH). We provide affordable housing and supportive services to people with a history of homelessness, mental illness, substance use disorder and other trauma-related issues. Supportive services could include links to case management, life skills, employment and transportation support, food assistance, health care and more. PSH is a nationally recognized, proven and cost-effective solution to reducing homelessness. CHN’s 1,540+ apartments provide homes to over 2,100 residents including 348 children and 100% of heads of households have a disability. CHN starts with housing because it fulfills a basic human need that then allows us to address other human needs, especially those that are complex and chronic.