Mayor breaks ground on new affordable housing project

Mayor Linda Gorton and Councilmember Josh McCurn today joined developers and contractors to break ground on a new $43 million affordable housing project with 252 apartments.

“We continue to hammer away at the need for affordable housing,” said Mayor Linda Gorton, who led the ground-breaking for Kearney Ridge Apartments. “This year we have dedicated an additional $10 million in federal funds, plus $3.5 million in local funds, to build or rehabilitate affordable housing, plus additional funds for rental assistance. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic we know the need will grow.”


Since it was created in 2014, the City’s Affordable Housing Fund has provided funding to for-profit and non-profit developers for the creation and preservation of 2,933 units of affordable housing. The City has leveraged $23.6 million in government funds into a total investment of $350 million in affordable housing in our community.


AU Associates is developing the Kearney Ridge project that features energy-efficient, garden-style apartments with washer/dryer hookups, a clubhouse containing community and fitness rooms, and a swimming pool. The apartments are an infill project located at 2559 Kearney Ridge Blvd.


Councilmember Josh McCurn, who represents the area, said affordable housing improves the quality of life and will continue to be transformative for Lexington. “I am thrilled to have AU Associates bring another project to the district, especially with it being close to Coldstream Legacy Business Park, where we will soon see the hustle and bustle of even more job opportunities,” he said.


The vast majority of those units are designed for households with incomes at or below 60% of the area annual median income – $36,240 for a two-person household.


“This groundbreaking ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate with the City and our project partners on a successful collaboration to create much-needed affordable housing within the urban service boundary,” said Johan Graham, President of AU Associates.


The project was made possible by utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the Kentucky Housing Corporation and $2.5 million from the City of Lexington’s HOME program and Affordable Housing Fund. Construction and permanent financing are being provided by Fifth Third Bank and Bellwether Enterprise. Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing is the tax credit investor.


You can view the video here.


16 Jan, 2024
January 10, 2024 | By Shepherd Snyder A $2.8 million sale between Transylvania University and a group of Lexington banks will transform the school’s baseball field into an affordable housing development. The 12.5 acre development will include both rental and owned properties for families making 30 to 80 percent of the city’s median income. The university plans to close the sale of Marquard Field to a group including Central Bank, Community Trust Bank, Republic Bank & Trust, Stock Yards Bank and Traditional Bank. The group has created a $3 million revolving fund to support affordable housing development throughout the city. Brien Lewis is President of Transylvania University. He says the downtown project would help residents stay in the city, and closer to their workplaces. “There's a lot of challenges to finding affordable housing,” Lewis said. “And it's not just the housing itself. If you have to be farther out, then you've got more transportation costs, and so on. So we see this as something that will certainly benefit the Transylvania community, but obviously, much more, the Lexington community.” Housing development groups include Habitat for Humanity, AU Associates, Urban League of Lexington and Winterwood. They’re being joined by Commerce Lexington, Lexington for Everyone and the Building Industry Association of Central Kentucky to create a development plan. Darryl Neher is the CEO of Lexington Habitat for Humanity. He says the development will help ease the rising cost of living for low-income families. “What we're experiencing here is not unlike what's happening across the country,” Neher said. “Post COVID, we've seen housing prices increase as much as 40 percent. Since the beginning of COVID, we're also seeing cost of construction increase, we're seeing interest rates increase, we're seeing rents increase. And so all of these pressures are putting our most vulnerable at risk.” Ground is expected to break on the project in the summer of 2025. The Transylvania Pioneers have been playing at Counter Clocks Field, home of Minor League Baseball’s Lexington Counter Clocks, since 2019. Click here to read the full story.
27 Sep, 2023
Yesterday was a huge event and milestone for AU Associates as we cut the ribbon on our largest affordable housing project ever and the largest in Lexington in over 20 years. I can't begin to thank our amazing team enough for the hard work to bring these 252 units of affordable housing to fruition. We've already moved in our first 60 families to a development with market rate amenities at affordable prices! View our press coverage at the following links: https://www.wtvq.com/more-affordable-housing-units-open-in-northern-lexington/ https://www.wkyt.com/2023/09/26/ribbon-cut-another-affordable-housing-complex-lexington/
26 Jan, 2023
AU Associates is proud to announce the opening of our NEW 24-unit affordable housing complex for seniors 55 and older located out on Polo Club Lane. This is a huge victory for affordable housing community and for seniors in the Lexington area! Click here to read the full story.
16 Nov, 2022
Pictured above: Digital rendering of the Loganwood Apartment complex. LOGAN - In addition to the annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony, the Logan community veterans will also be honored with the official groundbreaking of the new Loganwood housing complex on Friday. Following the events of Veterans days, the long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony of the Loganwood Apartments complex will be held at 2 p.m. The construction of Loganwood will provide 33 affordable, family apartments with a preference for income-eligible veterans in need of housing. The apartments will be available in one and two-bedroom options. The developer building the structure will be AU Associates, Inc., the same firm that built the Logan Landing Apartments on the east end of Stratton Street four years ago. Officials from the Logan Housing Corporation, the City of Logan, AU Associates, and the other funding partners will be on hand to celebrate Friday's groundbreaking. The groundbreaking will take place at 314 Hudgins Street, Logan, located just past the Logan Post Office. A complete report on Loganwood and the groundbreaking will be included Nov. 16th edition of The Logan Banner.
22 Aug, 2022
Glade View Townhomes is the latest project by AU Associates for affordable housing in West Virginia and Kentucky. It features 33 units with one, two and three-bedroom options.
22 Aug, 2022
Lexington, Ky (WKYT) - City officials celebrated the grand opening of a new senior living community in Lexington Friday morning.
By au-admin 10 Aug, 2020
August 10, 2020 | by Mario Anderson LEXINGTON, KY. — Monday was the first ribbon-cutting ceremony that the City of Lexington government leaders participated in since March 6. That date, was when the first COVID-19 case was reported in Kentucky. Monday morning, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and others gathered to announce details about the city’s latest […]
By au-admin 10 Aug, 2020
August 10, 2020 | by Steve Rogers LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Lexington added 71 new senior-living apartments to its list of affordable housing Monday. Mayor Linda Gorton and Councilmember Josh McCurn cut the ribbon to officially open the apartments for independent senior citizens in Meadowthorpe Landing at 1447 Antique Drive. “Our city needs more affordable housing, […]
By au-admin 11 Mar, 2020
LOGAN | March 11, 2020 | by David Vidovich — Updates on the veterans housing complex to be built in downtown Logan were given during the recent regular sessions of both the Logan County Housing Authority and the Logan Housing Corporation. Nicknamed Loganwood, the complex will be a living center tailored for veterans in need […]
By au-admin 29 Oct, 2019
October 29, 2019 | by Stu Johnson A ground breaking ceremony this morning in northwest Lexington recognized the start of development for 96 units of affordable housing for seniors.  The Oasis at Kearney Creek is expected to open in the spring of 2021. Vice Mayor Steve Kay said the need for affordable housing extends beyond […]
More Posts
Share by: