July 29, 2004
Printer’s Row to bring 84 new
loft-style urban homes
to downtown Saint Paul
Developer announces partnership with
Habitat for Humanity, showcases neighborhood’s printing history
Saint Paul—Printer’s Row, the next
addition to Saint Paul’s growing Wacouta Commons neighborhood,
will bring 84 new loft-style urban homes in two contemporary, new
buildings to downtown Saint Paul. As a result of a unique partnership,
eight of those homes will be built by Habitat for Humanity. Of the
eight Habitat for Humanity lofts, four will be designated as Possibility
Build units, meaning the homes will be equipped with assistive technology
for home buyers that have at least one physically disabled member.
Habitat for Humanity will partner with Courage Center to identify
buyers and their assistive technology needs. Additional Habitat
for Humanity and Possibility Build homes are planned for future
phases of Wacouta Commons.
At a July 29 groundbreaking ceremony for the project,
Michael Lander, a partner in Lander Sherman Urban Development, the
entity behind the award-winning Wacouta Commons neighborhood, said,
“With Printer’s Row, we’re not only breaking ground,
we’re also opening a door and making it possible for Habitat
for Humanity home buyers to live right here in the city. We’ve
seen that mixed-income developments strengthen the community fabric
while creating great returns on our homebuyers’ investment.”
Saint Paul Mayor Randy Kelly described the partnership
between Lander Sherman Urban Development, Habitat for Humanity and
Courage Center as “an excellent model for extending access
to urban living to families who are faced with economic and physical
challenges.”
According to Habitat for Humanity Executive Director
Stephen Seidel, who was also on hand for the groundbreaking, this
is the first time any Habitat for Humanity affiliate has provided
loft-style housing in a downtown urban area. “It’s great,
because it allows our homebuyers to live in an area that has easy
accessibility to jobs, downtown amenities and transportation. It’s
even more exciting that half of the Habitat for Humanity Homes will
be part of the Possibility Build program, so that families with
physically disabled members can take advantage of this outstanding
location,” he said.
Lander also spoke about the history of the neighborhood where the
new homes are being built. “Back in the early 1900s, a number
of printing companies were located in this area, which is why we
named it Printer’s Row. A couple of weeks ago, while doing
some excavation across the street, it was confirmed that this was
a good name,” he said. He then unveiled a display of historic
lithostones unearthed by construction workers. According to Lander,
the workers found dozens of lithostones used for printing documents
for a number of Minnesota businesses. “We found the names
of banks from Wadena to Grand Rapids, Hamms Brewery, Saint Paul
Insurance Company, even Glacier Park Hotel,” he said. He said
they are discussing how they might incorporate some of the stones
into the buildings’ architecture.
About Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Habitat
for Humanity is an ecumenical housing ministry and grassroots organization
that works to provide simple, decent, affordable housing for and
with low-income households. Volunteer labor, donated materials and
contributed funds are used to build and renovate homes in the Twin
Cities area. These homes are then sold to low-income buyers, at
a price which charges no profit and with long-term mortgage financing,
provided by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, which charges no interest.
Households served by Habitat are selected based on their housing
needs, their financial circumstances and their willingness to partner
with Habitat in the process of building their home and other Habitat
homes. Qualified partner families work side-by-side with volunteers
to turn dreams and donations into the reality of decent, affordable
homes.
About Courage Center
Courage Center is a nationally-known, not-for-profit rehabilitation
and resource center for people with physical disabilities, brain
injuries, speech or vision impairments, or hearing loss. Headquartered
in Minneapolis, Courage Center offers comprehensive, life-long services
to people of all ages. Courage Center’s wide-ranging services
are designed to empower people with disabilities to reach their
full potential in every aspect of life. For more information about
Courage Center, visit http://www.courage.org.
Possibility Build, is a collaborative
effort between Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Courage Center
to provide affordable, accessible housing for people with disabilities.
About Wacouta Commons
Printer’s Row is the fourth phase of development in the Wacouta
Commons Neighborhood, which now extends from East 7th Street to
East 10th Street and from Wacouta Street to Temperance Street. The
new neighborhood features a variety of housing options serving a
diverse range of renters and buyers, including the Essex on the
Park and Dakota brownstone condominiums, the Sibley Park and Sibley
Court apartments, and the 9th Street Lofts, located in the refurbished
Workforce Center of Downtown Saint Paul. A new city park, Wacouta
Commons Park, and a collection of neighborhood-based retailers are
also part of the mix.
Wacouta Commons is a joint venture of Lander/Sherman, a partnership
of The Lander Group, a Minneapolis-based, award-winning development
firm specializing in urban in-fill development, and Sherman Associates,
a recognized housing development and construction firm with more
than 20 years of experience in the five-state region. Project partners
include the City of Saint Paul, Metropolitan Council, Minnesota
Housing Finance Agency, and HUD. Kraus-Anderson Construction provides
general contracting services. ESG Architects and Close Landscape
Architecture provide architectural and architectural landscape services
respectively.
For further information on Printer’s Row area ownership housing
contact, Tony Kriha at 651-230-0392 or tony@landergroup.com or www.1printersrow.com.
For information on Habitat for Humanity Housing,
call
612-331-4090.
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