Affordable (Senior) Housing Set Back in the Bond Hill Business District

ndoubtedly, the headline from tonight’s Bond Hill + Roselawn Collaborative meeting is that The Port’s application for the funding to support affordable senior housing in the Bond Hill Business District has been rejected. The Port plans to reapply in 2020.

This pause will perhaps bring some respite from the whirlwind of suspicion, accusation and rancor that has surrounded the project. While some residents saw potential value in the mixed-use development, opposition was voluble. Many residents argued that the BH+R Plan was being improperly modified by the Bond Hill Community Council. Residents of Andina Avenue, in particular, argued that it would spoil their “family street” with traffic and crime. Given that vocal opposition mostly emerged only after votes in favor of the project, accusations flew about lack of notice and due process. Meanwhile, progress on other Bond Hill Community Council all but ground to a halt.

In the interim, both the President of The BHCC and the Secretary have announced their intentions to step down. The Port’s Director of Commercial Development has also moved on to other opportunities. With the project paused and new leadership on the horizon, there’s certainly the opportunity for a new dynamic and a more collaborative approach.