85-unit affordable senior housing building approved for Bear Creek in west St. Pete
/An 85-unit affordable senior apartment building has been unanimously approved by St. Pete’s Development Review Commission (DRC).
The building will be named Bear Creek Commons and is planned for a 4.66-acre site at 635 64th Street South in west St. Petersburg adjacent to Bear Creek, a 2.7 mile stream that flows to Boca Ciega Bay. The property was previously home to Grace Connection Church.
The project is planned for a 4.66-acre site at 635 64th Street South in west St. Petersburg.
The project is being proposed by Blue Sky Communities, an affordable housing developer who recently opened Skyway Lofts, a 65-unit affordable apartment complex in the Skyway Marina District of St. Pete.
Bear Creek Commons will feature one four-story building. The building will consist of 46 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units and 39 two-bedroom, two-bathroom units. The project will also feature 90 parking spaces and ample bike parking.
“Thank you to City Staff and the DRC for the thorough evaluation of the Bear Creek Commons’ site plan,” says Scott Macdonald, Executive Vice President and CFO of Blue Sky Communities. “We put a lot of time and effort into making sure all aspects were well within the bounds of conformance with the zoning requirements.”
In addition to 85 senior apartments, the community will have 90 parking spaces.
Nine of the apartments will cater to senior households making up to 30% of area median income (AMI) which is between $15,000 to $22,000 depending on the household size. 76 of the apartments would cater to senior households making up to 60% of AMI or between $31,000 and $44,000 per year depending on household size. Area median income ranges change annually.
The building is expected to achieve a minimum National Green Building Standard energy efficacy rating of ‘Silver.” The developer has also stated that they intend to have an onsite health clinic for use by visiting doctors, a resident assurance check-in program, assistance with light housekeeping, grocery shopping and/or laundry, literacy training, and on-call 24/7 maintenance/security support.
While Bear Creek Commons was unanimously approved, its pathway to approval hasn’t been seamless. The project drew attention in August 2020 when St. Pete City Council voted to rezone the land to allow multifamily housing.
The building will be four stories with a traditional design with a stucco and stone facade.
A group called Pasadena Gulfport St. Petersburg Neighbors United formed to oppose the project as incompatible with the neighborhood. Council found no evidence to support the group’s claims and approved the request to rezone the property. However, the project was temporarily contested in court before the case was dismissed, allowing it to move forward.
As a result, Blue Sky Communities designed the project to minimize disruption to neighboring properties.
The property was previously home to Grace Connection Church.
“We are keeping the building as far south as possible to preserve the neighbors’ privacy,” says Macdonald. “We look forward to moving forward with development and providing affordable homes for 85 elderly households. Thank you once again to the City of St. Petersburg for making affordable housing a top priority.”
In addition to the approval, the project is also being financially supported by the City of St. Petersburg. In August 2021, the project received approval for a loan of $610,000 from the City as part of their application for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) program. That request was also unanimously approved by council.
Clearing of the site and construction of the $20.5 million development is expected to begin later this year.
