Bristol Housing Authority seeks $45M for affordable housing renovation
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An architect's aerial view of the Bristol Housing Authority's proposed renovation of the Cambridge Park housing development on Jerome Avenue.
The Bristol Housing Authority is seeking city approval to renovate what is considered one of the foremost examples of wartime housing in the state.
During a meeting Monday night, the Bristol Zoning Commission conducted a public hearing on the authority’s application for a special permit and site plan approval of a $45 million renovation of the Cambridge Park affordable housing development, located on 39.95 acres at 98 Jerome Ave.
According to the proposal, the property currently has 196 affordable housing apartment units contained within 83 buildings, including 15 four-unit buildings and 68 duplexes. The proposal would reduce the density of units on the property by demolishing eight buildings (two four-unit buildings and six duplexes), which would remove 22 apartment units.
The result would leave 75 buildings with a total of 174 apartments.
Reducing the number of buildings and apartments would allow the authority to add parking spaces. As currently configured, the 196 existing units have a total of 286 parking spaces, or about 1.5 per unit. Reducing the number of apartments to 174 in 75 buildings would allow room to increase the number of spaces by 80 to 366, or 2.1 per unit.
The proposal also includes renovating the buildings and apartment units that remain, including upgrading both the exterior and interior and making the buildings more energy efficient. That includes capping the natural gas that is piped into the property and installing electric appliances in all the units, at the authority’s expense.
Officials representing the housing authority said the facility was constructed in 1942, during the second world war and a year before the housing authority was founded. Because of the development’s history, the housing authority sought and has received approval for the project from the State Historic Preservation Office.
Representatives said some restoration work has already begun. The authority received a $2 million grant to perform lead abatement work.
If approved, the project is expected to take two years and be conducted in four phases, with each phase taking about six months to complete.
The Zoning Commission continued the public hearing until its next regular meeting on March 10, allowing time for the applicant to address questions from town staff.
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