Crossroads' 35-unit affordable housing complex on Pine Street approved

PROVIDENCE — As early as the end of this year, the social services nonprofit Crossroads Rhode Island could begin building a 35-unit affordable housing complex at 371 Pine St., replacing an old single-story commercial building.

The Providence City Plan Commission gave both master plan and preliminary plan approval to the five-story mixed-use building last week after hearing no opposition to the project.

The Pine Street building is currently being used as a 38-bed emergency shelter for those experiencing homelessness. State funding for the shelter is slated to continue until September, Crossroads Rhode Island President Michelle Wilcox said.

What will the building look like?

The new building would largely be in the footprint of the current building, with the remaining asphalt on the lot replaced with a garden space for residents.

Renderings show a modern-style apartment building with the Crossroads logo at the top and the upper floors hanging a little over the sidewalk.

While the building could have gone taller and denser to six stories, the 35 units is the "right size" for what Crossroads officials want to do, Wilcox said.

The bottom floor of the building will be offices for Crossroads staff, an office space that may be leased to an outside service provider and a community room, in addition to the fenced garden space.

While there is no parking on the site, Crossroads owns a parking lot across from it on Pine Street which will be for staff and residents, she said.

Wilcox said the idea of the complex is to have staff on site to help the people living there who often have medical vulnerabilities.

"What we're doing here is building housing that is desperately needed," Wilcox said.

The commission voted to combine the master and preliminary plans, which it approved, and delegated approval of the final plan, required before building can start, to Providence planning staff.

Potential residents speak in favor of the project

David Sylvia, who has been at Crossroads facilities since 2016, said the group, and having housing, has drastically improved his life and that he wants to be a part of the new project.

Dennis Darling, who is blind and was homeless for two years before getting housing with Crossroads in 2021, said the project will be "awesome."

Take a video tour: Watch this video rendering of the proposed apartment complex

"This new project would help me even more, with 24-hour staffing, medical staff, and everything else that they have going on," he said.

Three other people testified in favor of the project, including Matthew Schelling, who said there needs to be more housing in the city, and John Wrenn, who said he never felt so proud to be a resident as when he heard the project presentation. Attorney Dylan Conley, at the meeting for a different project, said the state desperately needs more projects like the one Crossroads proposed.

No one testified in opposition to the project.

Property acquired with federal pandemic funds

Wilcox said in an interview that plans for the site have been in the works since July 2020 when the state put out a request for proposals for properties that could be bought, turned into emergency shelter with federal pandemic funds and then transitioned into permanent, supportive housing.

When the request for proposals went out, they had 14 days to apply for the funds.

"Had we not already been looking at the property, we probably wouldn't have pulled this together," she said. "It was a perfect opportunity."

When the shelter initially opened during the pandemic it had 30 beds, which has since increased to 38 with the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

The people currently in the shelter will be moved to other housing when the project nears the initial demolition phase, she said.

New shelter beds: RI to open more than 100 new shelter beds — here's where they are

How the project will be funded

The construction of the mixed-use building is anticipated to cost $16 million. About half of that funding will come from private donors, foundations and companies and the other half is expected through city, state and federal funding.

The project was not awarded any money during the latest round of funding for affordable housing from Rhode Island Housing, part of a $250-million budget allocation.

"I expect over the next three to five to six months, all of our funding will be secured," Wilcox said.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Providence Journal subscription. Here's our latest offer.

Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Crossroads Rhode Island wins approval for 35-unit Providence complex