2018 Residential Development that Overcame Significant Obstacles
Fruitdale Lofts
Developer: Hartman Ely
Location: Wheat Ridge, Colo.
A public school site from 1883 until 2007, the Fruitdale School in Wheat Ridge, Colo., is now a thriving 16-apartment affordable housing complex that led to the development of adjacent property in town. The development of Fruitdale Lofts came after a decade of struggles; including an initial decision by the city’s housing authority that redevelopment was infeasible due to financing requirements. That led to plans to demolish the property that were avoided when the Wheat Ridge Housing Authority (WRHA) purchased the property in 2011.
Ultimately, the city, WRHA and developer Hartman Ely teamed up to transform the property into a 16-apartment affordable housing complex, with financing that includes federal HTCs, state HTCs and federal solar investment tax credits.