UNIONTOWN - Fayette County Housing Authority has moved ahead with its plans for changing the look of its public housing stock with the naming of a real estate development partner.
The authority board on Friday named Falbo-Pennrose Joint Venture Inc. as the real estate developer and authorized the agency's executive director, Thomas Harkless, to being negotiating an agreement with Falbo-Pennrose.
The authority in March heard presentations from three developers on their visions for changing the configuration of several housing projects that were identified by the authority in its annual and five-year plans. In addition to Falbo-Pennrose, the board heard from Trek Development Group of Pittsburgh and Uniontown builder Thomas P. Licciardi.
Falbo-Pennrose is a venture between Ralph Falbo of Pittsburgh and Pennrose Property Inc. of Philadelphia.
Last month, the board approved the annual and five-year plans that have been submitted to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. These plans detail the demolition and conversion of buildings at four housing developments: Bierer Wood Acres, Lemon Wood Acres, Dunlap Creek Village and Snowden Village.
If the authority is unable to negotiate a contract with Falbo-Pennrose it will then negotiate with Trek Development, said Harkless.
Harkless, following adjournment, said that Falbo-Pennrose has development experience in western Pennsylvania and has worked with Uniontown Hospital and other nonprofit organizations. Harkless said the developer has "the same vision as the housing authority board and staff" and Falbo-Pennrose has much experience in development and redevelopment of affordable housing whether it is public housing or housing for seniors.
Harkless said Falbo-Pennrose, in its presentation, did not detail plans for a specific housing development but will take the board's concept and formalize its own specific plan. Harkless said the developer has different (financing) resources available including tax credits and may come up with a proposal different from the authority's plans. If the developer, for instance, would recommend the demolition of buildings rather than the conversion - remodeling - of building, the authority will amend its annual plans.
The plans were submitted to HUD based on the authority's capital improvement funds but the authority is submitting application to HUD for competitive federal grants for demolition and revitalization.
The authority wants to move away from barracks-style row housing and develop single-family homes and duplexes. Harkless said housing for senior citizens is a problem due to small-apartment sizes and would rehabilitate this into efficiency-like apartments.
The authority's efforts are targeted at making authority properties more marketable to applicants and retaining tenants. This marketing includes tearing down buildings and remodeling smaller-sized apartment buildings into buildings with less but larger-sized apartments. The conversion will also involve facade improvements to relieve monotony of the design of units. The application for demolition proposes demolition of 37 buildings and 255 units at the four developments. The conversion (remodeling) application proposes to reconfigure 85 smaller units into 52 larger units.
Harkless has previously said that more than 50 percent of the authority's housing stock was built prior to the 1960s.
He said the authority hopes the image of the authority moves away from public housing and the developments will have combinations of mixed incomes and home ownership and rental properties.
In other matters, the authority:
The one-year contracts state the police departments in each borough will provide baseline police services at a rate of $20 per hour with the contracts not exceeding $25,000 for the year.
Authority board chairman Kenneth Johnson inquired if the authority had developed paperwork for departments to fill out for submission to HUD, noting that previously the correct paperwork was not given to the agency.
Harkless said the housing authority developed the paperwork including incident reports and monthly summary sheets.
Authority employee Dave Huston, answering a question poised by board member Angela Zimmerlink, said the police presence will eliminate the presence of security guards at the Brownsville location; there was no security service at the Masontown sites. Huston said police will perform patrols, work with the tenants and present programs including D.A.R.E.
Harkless was directed by the board to undertake the salary study, but he reported at Friday's meeting that the authority's last study was done in 1996 and does not list all authority positions. He also indicated that the authority is complying with all of HUD's requirements and a more recent study is a requirement.
