A joint venture between the Virgin Islands Housing Authority (VIHA) and MDG Development Partners, an affiliate of MDG Design + Construction, has brought new life to a public housing site that sustained severe damage from hurricanes Irma and Maria in Frederiksted, St. Croix, in 2017.
The Walter I.M. Hodge Pavilion, built in 1971, includes 248 units on a 14-acre site. After the storm damage, approximately 140 units were offline and not occupiable, exacerbating the housing crisis on the Caribbean island.
PROJECT DETAILS
DEVELOPERS: MDG Development Partners and Virgin Islands Housing Authority
ARCHITECTS: Corwil Architects (architect of record), Jaredian Design Group (local architect), and Witkin Hults + Partners (landscape architect)
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: J. Benton Construction
MAJOR FUNDERS: Goldman Sachs; Merchants Bank of Indiana; Virgin Islands Housing Authority; Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency; Virgin Islands Office of Disaster Recovery; Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority; Federal Emergency Management Agency; Department of Housing and Urban Development
“Because of the storms and even before the storms, there just has not been enough public and affordable housing,” says Catherine Levenson, senior development project manager at MDG. “There’s a supply-and-demand crunch. Unfortunately, it’s a very difficult place to complete construction. Prices are exorbitant to construct housing so there’s limited supply coming online. The problem is not easing, it’s only getting worse.”
According to Levenson, a thoughtful approach went into making the site more resilient as well as usable and friendly for the residents.
“We achieved the look and feel of new construction with significant savings doing it via rehab,” she adds. “The shells of these buildings are concrete structures.”
New facade systems incorporated hurricane-wind-resistant windows and louver systems, doors, roofs, and enclosed stairwells. Two cisterns also are being reestablished to capture and treat rainwater for potable use.
Courtesy MDG Design + Construction
Units include new bathrooms and kitchens, with water-conserving fixtures and Energy Star appliances, as well as highly efficient electric water heaters and LED lighting to help lower utility costs. Safety measures were addressed through security cameras as well as solar panels and backup generators for common area lighting.
Residents have access to a new playground, upgraded basketball courts, a renovated community center, and a new senior center with community planting boxes. In addition, VIHA and MDG have implemented Bright Path, a robust wellness and empowerment plan to provide services for residents, supported by long-term funding included in the project budget.
Completed in December 2024, the $116.4 million redevelopment was undertaken through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, multiple disaster recovery funding programs, and 9% low-income housing tax credits. In addition, the financing structure took advantage of solar investment tax credits and Opportunity Zone tax benefits. Under the RAD program through project-based rental assistance, residents pay no more than 30% of their income toward rent.