Heritage Senior Residences at Columbia Parc marks the fourth and…
Heritage Senior Residences at Columbia Parc marks the fourth and final phase of housing in the master-planned, 52-acre Columbia Parc at the Bayou District in New Orleans, which replaces the former St. Bernard public housing project that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
RION RIZZO/CREATIVE SOURCES PHOTOGRAPHY
Achieving LEED for Homes Platinum certification, the development…
Achieving LEED for Homes Platinum certification, the development team went above and beyond the sustainability measures that were in the first three phases of Columbia Parc, which earned LEED Silver.
RION RIZZO/CREATIVE SOURCES PHOTOGRAPHY
The water- and energy-efficient units help seniors save on their…
The water- and energy-efficient units help seniors save on their utility bills. After more than a year in operation, Jim Grauley, president of Columbia Residential, says most residents are averaging well below half the utility allowance allocated as part of their rents. The seniors also receive ample community and supportive services from nonprofit Kingsley House.
RION RIZZO/CREATIVE SOURCES PHOTOGRAPHY
The 120-unit development serves seniors 62 and older, with 83 un…
The 120-unit development serves seniors 62 and older, with 83 units set aside for residents with project-based rental assistance, 36 units for public housing residents at 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), and one unit restricted to a resident earning at or below 80 percent of the AMI.
Nine years later, New Orleans continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. The opening of Heritage Senior Residences in March 2013 marked the final phase of housing in the master-planned, 52-acre Columbia Parc at the Bayou District in New Orleans, which replaces the former St. Bernard public housing project.
The 120-unit Heritage Senior Residences, developed by Columbia Residential and Bayou District Foundation of New Orleans, provides energy-efficient housing for seniors 62 and older who earn 80 percent or less of the area median income.
Achieving LEED for Homes Platinum certification, the development includes a 67 kW solar electric system that reduces the electrical operating costs of the common areas; a tight building envelope with high insulation values and energy-efficient windows; utility monitoring and water submeters in each unit; HVAC energy recovery systems; and energy-efficient lighting and appliances.
“The biggest impact is it substantially lowers the energy costs for our residents, who are predominantly fixed-income seniors,” says Jim Grauley, president of Columbia Residential.
The $20 million development utilized specialized funding that the Housing Authority of New Orleans received from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Katrina.
Christine Serlin is an editor for Affordable Housing Finance, Multifamily Executive, and Builder. She has covered the affordable housing industry since 2001. Before that, she worked at several daily newspapers, including the Contra Costa Times and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Connect with Christine at cserlin@zondahome.com
or follow her on Twitter @ChristineSerlin.
