Friday, July 23, 2004

Affordable housing gets a lift

Two Ketchum developments will double for-sale inventory

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

The inventory of deed-restricted affordable housing units in Ketchum is about to go up sharply.

An A-frame building that was once part of the Heidelberg Inn was prepared Wednesday afternoon for transport to Fairfield, where it will be restored for use as a single-family house. The owner of the building sold it for $1. Express photos by David N. Seelig

Earlier this month, crews from McKnight Construction commenced work on the 32-unit Pineridge residential development, which will replace the Heidelberg Inn at 1908 Warm Springs Road.

The project will include 13 for-sale deed-restricted community-housing units, as well as 19 market-rate condominiums.

Meanwhile, ground was broken earlier this month on the Frenchman’s Place building, a mixed-use project at 380 Ninth Street in Ketchum that will include five for-sale community-housing units.

Put forth in 2003 by the California-based Calthorpe development group, the Pineridge plan calls for removing the Heidelberg Inn and building seven separate residential buildings on the 1.93-acre site.

Calthorpe also developed the Thunder Spring condominium project in northern Ketchum.

Sparr G. McKnight, general contractor for the Pineridge project, said site preparation started in early July. This summer and fall, work crews will focus on building four structures on the east side of the property, before demolishing the defunct inn next March and commencing construction planned for the west side.

"Our goal is to have a sales model up and ready for display by Christmas," McKnight said.

Construction crews Wednesday afternoon continued to prepare the site of the Heidelberg Inn, located on Warm Springs Road in Ketchum, for a new 32-unit condominium development called Pineridge. The Pineridge project, which will take approximately 18 months to complete, will ultimately include 13 new affordable-housing units. Express photos by David N. Seelig

Michael David, executive director of the Blaine-Ketchum Housing Authority, which oversees the sale of deed-restricted housing units in Ketchum, said the two projects will increase from 17 to 35 the inventory of for-sale community-housing units in the city.

David said the Housing Authority is preparing to update a list of 220 persons interested in community housing in Blaine County. The forthcoming affordable housing in Ketchum has not yet been allocated, he noted.

"The units are not spoken for," he said. "We will have an application process."

Last year, numerous neighbors of the proposed Pineridge project objected to its size, bulk and density during a series of public hearings before the Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council.

Despite the opposition, city officials approved the project last November.

The Frenchman’s Place project, which is located in the city’s light-industrial area north of downtown, was more readily received. It will ultimately include 22,000 square feet of light-industrial space plus 21 affordable and market-rate condominium units.

Representatives for Frenchman’s Place earlier this year said the affordable units there will likely range in price from $82,000 to $164,000.

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