Washington, DC – December 23, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — More than four years ago Housing Development Center partnered with three nonprofits to develop an innovative project, which meets critical human needs in East Portland and makes great use of an exceptional transit-oriented site. This year we completed work on this two-phase project, Glisan Commons and Gilman Court. Here’s a look back at what makes it stand out.
Sponsored by Ride Connection, Human Solutions and REACH Community Development, Glisan Commons (Phase One) and Gilman Court (Phase Two) provide 127 units of affordable housing for low-income seniors and working families, co-located with a 15,000-square-foot headquarters and operations center for Ride Connection’s transit-access programs—all steps from East Portland’s Gateway Transit Center. Housing Development Center was the master developer and managed construction of both phases.
Four things we love about this project:
1) The synergistic transit-oriented program. Glisan Commons–Gilman Court sits directly adjacent to a regional transit hub, in the heart of an urban renewal district marked for future high-density growth. The project makes the most of this key transit-oriented site, combining a ground-floor transit-access service facility with high-density affordable housing for two transit-dependent low-income populations.
2) The efficient use of development resources. By sharing development costs and site amenities, each sponsor met its mission objectives at lower development cost than it could have working alone. Indeed, Ride Connection estimates that its facility cost half what it would have cost if developed as a stand-alone project.
3) The collaborative operating structure. Human Solutions provides resident services for all residents—its own clients and REACH’s—and REACH handles property management for the whole project. This smart division of operating responsibilities creates opportunities for better outcomes at lower cost.
4) The positive impact on the Gateway community. The neighborhood is getting a boost from the $36 million property investment and the economic impact of Ride Connection’s 48 employees. And Glisan-Gilman’s balanced mix of uses and sensitive design (by Holst Architecture and Carleton Hart Architecture) is setting a positive tone for the area’s future development.
Learn more about the project, and view photos of Glisan Commons and Gilman Court.
