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A row of Foxtail Meadows row houses seen Tuesday are part of the first phase of the mixed-income housing development in southwest Lincoln. The new rooftops visible from U.S.
77 in southwest Lincoln represent a new model for affordable housing in Lincoln — a whole neighborhood with a mix of affordable and market-rate apartments and homes, some for rent, some available to buy. There will be small parks and a fitness center, walking trails and community spaces eventually, but on this windy Tuesday, the new neighborhood was populated by a large group of elected officials, community leaders and housing advocates there to cut the ceremonial ribbon on the project. Officials hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Foxtail Meadows apartment complex Tuesday in Lincoln.
“This is a comprehensively designed neighborhood with affordability as the core background and core component,” Jake Hoppe, managing partner of Hoppe Development, told the group. Hoppe Development is the company that created Foxtail Meadows, a 600-unit mixed-income neighborhood near South Folsom Street and West Pioneers Boulevard. People are also reading.
.. The first phase of the project includes 166 rental units that are a combination of traditional apartment and row homes affordable to families with incomes at 60% of the Area Median Income or below and are open for leasing.
Eventually, there will be another 30 row-style homes for sale. Thirteen of them being built by Habitat for Humanity will be targeted to families at 60% of Area Median Income; 17 will be built in collaboration with Nebraska Housing Resource and Scheele Kayton Construction and targeted to families at 80% of Area Median Income. There are commercial lots available for a convenience store and small-scale commercial businesses, and the plans include future development of another 400 units affordable to families at 80% of Area Median Income.
When Hoppe returned to Nebraska to work with the family business, he researched some “cutting-edge urban design concepts” that mixed scales of housing around walkability and various amenities, but none of them included affordable housing, he said. So they started looking for a place to create such a neighborhood. “Part of the idea of that was questioning the paradigm that affordable housing had to be in sort of overlooked infill lots that weren’t suitable for market-rate housing, but .
.. could be in areas of high economic growth with sort of strong community infrastructure — and that's what we found on this site, and what we were trying to experiment with," he said.
They wanted to come up with the right mix of housing so that anyone would want to live there, but that also were affordable for lower-income residents, he said. They found a spot near Hope Community Church, 4700 S. Folsom St.
, and asked church officials how they felt about having new neighbors. Pastor Jon Garbison said Tuesday they are excited and promised to help make the new rooftops a neighborhood where everyone belongs and can thrive. Hope Community Church is seen next to new apartments and row homes in Foxtail Meadows on Tuesday in Lincoln.
“We purchased this land over 20 years ago and at that point had no idea what would grow up around us, but we built a church right in the middle of this property and just kind of waited patiently,” he said. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said the city is pleased to have partnered with Hoppe Development on affordable housing — a priority of her administration. Thanks to projects like this they’re ahead of their benchmarks to create or rehabilitate 5,000 affordable housing units by 2030, she said.
The city contributed $3.74 million to the project, including $2.59 million in tax-increment financing, which allows developers to use future property taxes the redevelopment generates to pay for certain up-front costs; and $1.
15 million from its affordable housing fund and an annexation agreement that included infrastructure improvements. Shannon Harner, executive director of Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, said the project also includes $26.7 million in federal and state low-income housing tax credits.
An additional $1.5 million came from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. An inside look of a Foxtail Meadows apartment living room.
Other funding for the project came from the Lincoln Community Foundation, Community Development Resources and financing from a consortium of financial institutions. Developers also worked with Lincoln Electric System to provide solar energy. Fred Hoppe, principal of housing development, said Foxtail Meadows is one of the first neighborhoods in southwest Lincoln to make high-quality architectural design and first-class amenities accessible to families below the poverty level.
"Foxtail Meadows represents a novel way of considering neighborhood development, where affordability is considered a community asset and is integrated in a new suburban neighborhood design," he said. "If we are going to address the affordable housing challenges of our communities, we have to build affordable housing at scale alongside market-rate housing, in highly desirable areas of town with strong schools, and supportive community infrastructure. This project delivers on these goals.
" Download the new Journal Star News Mobile App Top Journal Star photos for September 2024 Lincoln Christian's Brett Maher (14) sits in the locker room with his teammates ahead of the game against Auburn on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024 at Lincoln Christian High School. First District Republican incumbent Mike Flood (left) and Democratic challenger Carol Blood debate on Sunday, Sept.
15, 2024, at Nebraska Public Media. Lincoln Bike Kitchen Executive Director, Shari Shanks, hangs bike pedals on hooks at the new Lincoln Bike Kitchen headquarters inside the old Muny Pool building Monday, Sept. 16, 2024.
The Lincoln Bike Kitchen accepts bikes in all conditions and will break unusable ones down for scrap parts. Gypsy Anton of Lincoln, 13, (from left) listen to music with her brother Silver Anton, 11, mother Jen Leonard, and sister Sophia Leonard, 12, during Porch Jam Sunday near Cooper Park. Nebraska's Ty Robinson (right) blocks a pass by Northern Iowa quarterback Aidan Dunne (10) in the second quarter on Saturday, Sep.
14, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Volunteers Devin Flemming (left) and John Sjuts, of Lincoln, fill bags of food to distribute on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, at West Lincoln Elementary.
The Backpack program allows students in need to take backpacks full of food home. Nebraska's Jacory Barney (17) dances in the endzone as he celebrates scoring a second quarter touchdown against Northern Iowa on Saturday, Sep. 14, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
Members of the UNL Army ROTC's Big Red Battalion climb the steps of Memorial Stadium during a silent stair climb in remembrance of those lost in the 9/11 attacks on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Lincoln. Starting at 6:00 a.
m., various members of the branches of UNL ROTC, first responders in the surrounding Lancaster areas, and former military members began a silent stair climb workout that involves climbing 2,071 steps, or about 110 flights of stairs. This was the number of stairs that were present at the World Trade Center, which first responders climbed in an effort to rescue people from the towers.
The cadets only count the stairs going up, not down. Representing those first responders who never got a chance to descend safely. Lincoln East's Raheem Popoola (13) leads his team out onto the field before the game against Grand Island on Thursday, Sept.
12, 2024, at Seacrest Field. Nebraska's Harper Murray (27) embraces Bergen Reilly (2) after scoring a kill against Creighton in the first set on Tuesday at the Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska's Tommi Hill (6) celebrates a pick-six during the first quarter of the game against Colorado on Saturday, Sept.
7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Jacory Barney (17) celebrates as fans rush the field after the game on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
Terence "Bud" Crawford (center) takes the field next to Nebraska's Dylan Raiola (left) and Mikai Gbayor on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska fans storm the field after winning the game against Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska won 28-10. Police investigate the scene of a shooting Sunday in downtown Lincoln near 11th and P streets where one man was killed and another man was injured. While teammate Dante Dowdell (23) celebrates a touchdown with his teammates, quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) reacts toward the home sideline in the first quarter on Saturday, Sept.
7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Dante Dowdell (23) is tackled by Colorado's Shilo Sanders (21) on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Wahoo players pray in the locker room ahead of their match against Ashland-Greenwood on Friday, Sept.
6, 2024, at Wahoo High School. Lincoln Southeast's Zayvion Campbell (left), Lincoln Southwest's Nathan Mensah (center) and Southeast's Mason Mehta (right) dive after the ball in the end zone during the second quarter on Friday at Seacrest Field. The play resulted in a Lincoln Southwest touchback.
Ian Plumlee, of Lincoln, dances with his daughter, Josephine, 4, as Sandy Creek Pickers performs during the Nebraska Bluegrass Concert Series on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, on Nebraska Innovation Campus. Jeff Gold speaks after being installed as the University of Nebraska's ninth president during an investiture ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, Sept.
5, 2024. Junior Dylan Zephier (center) dances with senior Jordyn Guse next to senior Helina Cooper (back left) and freshman Liam Hoffschneider during a Unified music class, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, at East High School.
Nebraska's Dylan Raiola walks in the Legacy Walk on Saturday outside Memorial Stadium. A great blue heron perches on a rock in the shallow water of Holmes Lake on Tuesday. Nebraska's Leyla Blackwell (11) throws a volleyball into the stands before the match against TCU on Saturday, Aug.
31, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center. The Huskers run on to the field to kickoff the game against UTEP on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska's MJ Sherman (48) sacks UTEP's Skyler Locklear (9) during the first quarter of the UTEP game on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Norfolk Catholic players line up on the field before during the game against Bishop Neumann on Friday, Aug.
30, 2024, at Bishop Neumann in Wahoo. Nebraska's Isaiah Neyor (18) catches a 59-yard touchdown pass while defended by UTEP's Jaylon Shelton (9) in the second quarter, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska's Bergen Reilly (2) watches a husker light show as a highlight reel of last year plays before the match on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center. New University of Nebraska-Lincoln students run out onto the field during the tunnel walk tradition at Memorial Stadium on Friday.
Lincoln Christian's Truman Paulsen holds the Spirit Sword after defeating Lincoln Lutheran on Friday at Aldrich Field. Framed through a children's play set, Jordyn Anderson, 3, pushes her friend Jordan Lara, 4, in a Cozy Coupe toy at the playground outside at Las Abejitas' location at First Lutheran Church on Friday. Las Abejitas, one of only two bilingual child care centers in Lincoln, is opening a second location at First-Plymouth Church in September.
Waverly celebrates after defeating Lincoln Lutheran in five sets Thursday at Lincoln Lutheran High School. Thursday afternoon's football game between Lincoln East and Elkhorn South was postponed due to weather. The teams will make up the game Friday at Seacrest Field.
Lincoln East's Deacon Gehle (from left) and Presley Hall practice passing back anf forth while waiting out a rain delay at Seacrest Field on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. From left, U.
S. Sens. Deb Fischer, Pete Ricketts, 3rd District Congressman Adrian Smith, 1st District Congressman Mike Flood and 2nd District Congressman Don Bacon attended the annual summit hosted by the Nebraska, Omaha and Lincoln chambers of commerce on Thursday at Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland.
Runners, including Tyler Pooschke (first left) and Mak Krause (right) are led by run lead Trevor White (first right) as they take off along the Billy Wolff Trail for the first-ever run held by the Telegraph Run Club on Wednesday. The new run club is meant to be a welcoming, open and free to any who wishes to join. Nebraska's Nash Hutmacher hands a football back to Henry Erikson of Beatrice, 8, and Brent Erikson during football fan day, Saturday, Aug.
24, 2024, at Hawks Championship Center. Contact the writer at [email protected] or 402-473-7226.
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