JFK Apartments receiving $30M renovation
Mar. 28—CUMBERLAND — The John F. Kennedy Apartments building at 135 Mechanic Street is in the midst of a $30 million renovation.
The 11-story public housing building that opened in 1967 will receive an extensive overhaul inside and out.
"It is with excitement that, after a very long planning period, we are providing these major improvements to the development," said Steven Kesner, project coordinator for the Cumberland Housing Group, in a press release.
The housing development consists of 90 one-bedroom units and 10 efficiency apartments, including 10 one-bedroom apartments with physically-disabled access and two apartments that are equipped for hearing and visually-impaired individuals in accordance with the most recent Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, according to Kesner.
The modernization will provide new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, lighting, individually controlled heating and air conditioning, and laundry service. The exterior facade of the building will be completely renovated, including windows, doors, siding, roofs and façade painting.
Kesner said initial interior demolition work on 30 vacant units began in November with the official closing on the complete financial package for the renovation occurring on March 21.
The JFK Apartments are owned and operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Cumberland, which was established in 1949 as a public housing agency under the Federal Housing Act of 1937.
The Cumberland Housing Group operates eight developments, according to Kesner, comprising 499 residential apartments and townhomes. Maintained for more than 20 years, the properties have been afforded the HUD High Performing Agency designation.
As a public housing agency, the use of traditional forms of funding for performing modernization is not permitted and funding is limited to federal appropriations.
After decades of underfunding housing developments across the nation, HUD designed a rehabilitation option that transfers the ownership of the development to a partnership ultimately controlled by a public housing agency or by a non-profit agency. This option is known as the Rental Assistance Demonstration Program which allows the administering agency to leverage public and private debt and equity to reinvest in the public housing stock.
In 2015, the John F. Kennedy Apartments were identified as a candidate for RAD and began the arduous planning and financial process which has lasted over eight years.
According to Kesner, ownership of John F. Kennedy Apartments will be transferred to the JFK Apartments, LP with agencies within the Cumberland Housing Group as general and managing partner and the Stratford Capital Group Managed Fund as its limited partner. The new official name will be JFK Apartments.
The 60 tenants currently living at the development will move into newly renovated units as construction is completed.
New residents will occupy the remaining 40 units with preference being given to those who are 62 years of age and over. JFK Apartments will continue to provide affordable housing for those families whose gross family incomes are below 60% of the Cumberland/Allegany County median household income of $89,900.
A single person with a gross income of $32,850 per year or less is considered low income qualified for these units. Monthly rent will continue to be calculated on 30% of the adjusted gross income.
The total project cost is being financed by the Maryland Community Development Administration, Stratford Capital Group, and the Cumberland Housing Group. The Belt Group will serve as the general contractor.
The project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2025.
Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email glarry@times-news.com and follow him on Twitter @GregLarryCTN.
