Columbia West

Columbia West resulted from a two-year collaboration with residents of the surrounding neighborhood who demanded high quality residential development on highly visible vacant land that they felt was a blight on their community.  The project includes forty-two one- to three-bedroom apartments and 10 Single Room Occupancy residences in a four story building with enclosed basement parking.  The SRO housing accommodates formerly homeless, mentally retarded adults who receive supportive services through BayCove Human Services.  The other forty-two apartments are affordable to households earning less than 60% of area median income.  Financing for the project was led by MassHousing who provided construction, permanent, and bridge financing as well as a Priority Development Fund loan.  Other funding included LIHTC equity from Apollo Housing Capital, state HOME funds from the Dept of Housing and Community Development, Facilities Consolidation Funds from CEDAC, and a deferred repayment loan from the City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development.  The building was designed by ICON architecture, inc. and completed by CWC Builders, Inc. in early 2005.