A local nonprofit plans to convert the Wood Acres mobile home park in Pinellas’ Lealman community into an affordable housing complex. 

Pinelllas Affordable Living Inc. (PAL), a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) established by the Boley Centers that has developed multiple housing communities for low-income residents and those suffering from mental illnesses, is expected to enter a ground lease deal for the property at 3901 46th Avenue North.

The group intends to build 17 apartments for households at or below 60% of the area median income (AMI) with four units set aside for households earning below 33% of the AMI. 

On Tuesday January 30th, Pinellas County commissioners will review a request to declare the county-owned parcel as surplus. If approved, the county will donate the 1.55-acre land to the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County (HFA) for the new development. 

The HFA will then prepare and execute a long-term ground lease with PAL.

The application comes at a time when the underserved community, which over 20,000 residents call home, is in dire need of more affordable units amid an ongoing housing affordability crisis.

PAL and the Boley Centers have extensive experience in developing affordable housing communities in Pinellas such as the 20-unit Butterfly Grove Apartments, located at 715 5th Avenue North in St. Pete, which was completed in 2022 and serves residents earning below 50% of the AMI. 

An earlier application for the new project, dubbed The Point Apartments, shows the unit mix will include four three-bedroom apartments, seven two-bedroom units, and six one-bedroom units across two buildings. 

The complex will feature a community space, an office, a laundry room, a picnic pavilion adjacent to a playground, and a covered and protected (fenced and locked) bicycle rack.

PAL estimates a total project cost of $5.866 million, which breaks down to nearly $345,000 per unit. The market value of the land is $910,000.

The group will apply to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to provide primary funding for the project. Additionally, PAL will seek approximately $1 million from Pinellas County for project construction. 

PAL plans to work with architectural firm Fraze Design and Vickstrom Engineering. 

PAL emerged as the top respondent to Pinellas County's request for notification to redevelop affordable housing at the site. People Empowering and Restoring Communities (PERC) also responded to the request. 

According to the notification, the county’s objective is to redevelop the land with a mix of well-designed housing types with a minimum of 30% of units reserved for residents earning at or below 120% of the AMI. 

Lealman is one of the key Community Redevelopment Areas (CRA) the county has a hyperfocus on. Last year, commissioners approved $12.5 million for new affordable housing developments.

Lealman Heights, an affordable development currently underway, was one of the designated recipients. 

The $23.59 million development, encompassing over five parcels, will deliver 86 units for those earning less than 80% of the AMI. 

Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties has also recently developed residences in the area, providing homeownership opportunities.