Apartment projects underway in city
—Courtesy photo This rendering shows what the Chestnut Apartments will look like when completed. The development will have 36 units available, and another development also in progress, the Sixth Street Senior Apartments, will also have 36 units.
SANDPOINT — Two apartment projects are underway on Sixth Avenue in Sandpoint that will provide affordable housing to families and seniors.
The Chestnut Apartments will consist of 36 units of multi-family housing, and the Sixth Street Senior Apartments will also have 36 units available.
In an email to the Daily Bee, Aaron Qualls, Sandpoint's planning and economic development director, said both projects received low-income housing tax credits awarded by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association. The tax credits provide tax incentives to sponsors who designate at least 20 percent of the units as affordable to families of designated income levels.
According to the 2016 low-income housing tax credit allocations on idahohousing.com, each building will have 31 of the 36 units available as affordable housing. The annual tax credit award for the Chestnut Apartments with 31 affordable units is $461,276 and $308,637 for the Sixth Street Senior Apartments. The Daily Bee reached out to Whitewater Creek, Inc. to confirm the number of units to be designated as affordable, but was unable to reach the developer in charge of the projects.
The architect on the project, Sara Brede, of ZBA Architecture in Spokane, designed both buildings as LEED for Home Certified, which she said is a certification program for green buildings. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Brede said the project incorporates many different features to maximize energy efficiency and long-term durability, such as extra insulation, advanced framing techniques, efficient split-ductless heat pumps, low-flow plumbing fixtures, efficient lighting, native or adaptive landscaping, zonal irrigations and more.
Qualls said the project will have a mixed-use, or non-residential component as required in the zone, and the development is anticipated for completion next year.
While he was unsure exactly what the non-residential space may be used for he said part of it is likely to be used as rental offices.
“There are many uses allowed in the Commercial B zone that could go in the other small commercial spaces, such as a cafe, deli or retail store and which might serve to round out the neighborhood, so to speak — creating a pedestrian-oriented gathering place for residents.”