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Date: 12/18/2023
SPRINGFIELD — The owners of Chestnut Crossing will be able to offer additional affordable housing options sometime in 2024.
The City Council approved a special permit on Dec. 11 that will allow the owner of the apartment complex located at the Springfield YMCA property on Chestnut Street to construct up to an additional 34 studio units.
The Springfield-based nonprofit real estate development outfit Home City Development and its affiliate BH Chestnut Crossing LLC previously created 101 through the redevelopment of the building, which still houses the YMCA on the first floor.
Attorney Ellen Freyman, a partner at Schatz, Schwartz and Fentin PC, which represents Home City Development, noted the special permit had previously been approved but that permit had expired after the standard two year period. In the meantime, the company had acquired new funding that would allow for the development of the additional units. She also told the council the expansion would not involve any expansion of building the current footprint.
“This special permit has already been granted but these projects take a while to be put together with all the funding, and so the two years has lapsed,” she said, adding this would essentially equate to a renewal and the opening of a new two-year window.
The council also approved a new waiver on the parking requirements. Without the waiver, Chestnut Crossing would have been required to offer 150 parking spaces, however, Freyman and Tom Kegelman, executive director of Home City Development, argued the planned 130 spaces were adequate, given the estimated number of residents who have cars and accessibility of public transportation. Kegelman said for the current 101 units, there are typically 40 vehicles.
All of the existing apartments, managed by Housing Management Resources Inc., are currently tenanted. The 480-square-foot single room occupancy units command a rent of $810 per month, including utilities, according to information available on the property management company’s website. Tenants also have the benefit of a discounted YMCA membership.
Tom Kegelman, executive director of Home City Development, said there is a long waiting list when asked about demand for the units.
City Councilor Victor Davila credited the developer for their previous work, stating the property has “really been transformed.” Councilors Maria Perez and Zaida Govan issued similar praise, stating they had recently visited Chestnut Crossing and were pleased with the improvements.
Asked by Councilor Tracye Whitfield about the Home City Development’s bidding procedures for the construction, Kegelman said the developer has incorporated the city of Springfield’s requirements for hiring of women and minorities into the construction contracts.
“It’s not a publicly bid process like perhaps the city would be required to do, but our general contractor has hundreds of contractors and we’re actively recruiting minority-owned businesses to add to the bid list so that we can make sure we have a maximum of minority and women-owned businesses in the bidding lists,” he said.
Councilor Michael Fenton recused himself from the vote as his law firm represents the petitioner.