Plan would convert Humboldt into worker housing
Sep. 14—A student hasn't walked the halls of Humboldt Elementary School since 2018.
But the now-vacant North End building could get a new lease on life five years after it closed its doors. The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce is leading an effort to help redevelop the property as a partial answer to a housing shortage that impacts workers who don't want to live in low-income apartments but can't afford newer, higher-end homes.
"Since I started, it's been a topic of conversation with a lot of our major employers, including the school district," said Natalie Redmond, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber. "We do find a lot of our folks are going to north Kansas City because there's not a lot of affordable housing."
The redevelopment plan is aimed at production workers and young professionals like teachers, traveling nurses and engineers right out of college. Even University of Missouri-Kansas City medical students in St. Joseph can struggle with finding accommodations in their price range.
"When the chancellor came and I said, 'What is the one thing we can do to support you?' He said, 'Find my doctors and medical school housing because they don't want to live in Kansas City and drive here,'" Redmond said.
The Chamber has identified a developer who would purchase the Humboldt property, which the St. Joseph School District sold a few years ago, and redevelop it into loft apartments for rent. There's also plans to build town homes on the adjacent playground and partner with a local nonprofit to provide daycare service in the area.
The development group hasn't been identified publicly, but things are far enough along that a neighborhood meeting is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. outside the Humboldt building, 1520 N. Second St. The project also depends on approval of tax credits from the Missouri Housing Development Commission later this fall.
"We definitely feel like it's important for the neighborhood to understand the project and buy into it," Redmond said.
Redmond emphases that this proposal is designed to fill a niche between low-income and high-end housing, with targeted monthly rents between $700 and $1,200 a month.
While inflation has moderated in recent months, the toll was especially hard on renters who could find themselves priced out of the market. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that apartment rents increased 8% in the 12-month period ending in July of 2023, compared to 4.9% for food and 3.5% for new vehicles.
"This isn't unique to St. Joseph," Redmond said.
Greg Kozol can be reached at greg.kozol@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowKozol.
