Construction is expected to start this summer on Reno Housing Authority’s largest affordable housing project. The plan calls for 199 new apartments spread across seven buildings near the former site of Hug High School.
Courtesy Brinshore Development
Construction of the largest new affordable housing project in the Reno Housing Authority’s history is underway near the former site of Hug High School.
David Brint, co-founder of Brinshore Development of Evanston, Ill., told NNBW that demolition of the old Hawk View Apartments is complete and general contractor Mohawk Construction is currently laying horizontal infrastructure for 199 new apartments spread across seven buildings.
Vertical construction is expected to commence by mid-summer, Brint added.
Reno Housing Authority Executive Director Hilary Lopez said in a statement that a wide range of funding sources made it possible to construct the new buildings.
“RHA is proud to celebrate the soon-to-be addition of 199 new affordable units for our community,” Lopez said. “We appreciate the generous support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for funding the vision for this property, and to the State of Nevada, Washoe County, and the cities of Reno and Sparks for awarding Home Means Nevada and Washoe County HOME Consortium monies.”
Brint told NNBW that funding for the project is a mix of tax-exempt bonds that carry low-income tax credits, which are sold to generate equity, as well as state tax credits that also are sold to generate equity. The Reno Housing Authority added financial resources, along with several other tiers of soft financing, he said.
The old Hawk View apartments on Tripp and Steelwood lanes were deemed obsolete and were razed to clear an unencumbered footprint of about 6.5 acres for modern buildings, Brint said. The new $87.4 million development will include 72 one-bedroom units of 669 square feet, 102 two-bedroom units between 860 and 890 square feet, and 25 three-bedroom apartments at 1,170 square feet each. Rents will be set at 20 to 80 percent of area median income.
“We found plenty of things under the ground we didn’t expect to see, but nothing that crippled the project, just the normal things you find that you didn’t expect,” Brint said of the demolition process.
Once buildings are erected, they will be clad in light-gauge steel rather than stucco or wood siding, Brint said. It’s easier to get insurance for the property with a non-flammable exterior, he added. The steel cladding required three iterations of engineering to get it right, he said, and although using steel adds to construction costs, the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported steel won’t come into play because Brinshore purchased construction materials ahead of time to avoid any potential price escalations.
“When we heard rumors of what was happening, we bought and shipped all the steel before it could hit,” Brint said.
Hawk View is the second affordable housing project in Northern Nevada for Brinshore Development. The company is also renovating the 150-unit Silverada Manor senior housing project on Silverada Boulevard. That $74.5 million project involves extensive coordination with the Reno Housing Authority and Silverada Manor tenants, he noted. The facility consists of 22 studio apartments, 64 one-bedroom and 64 two-bedroom units.
“Silverada is challenging because it is an in-place rehab of a senior project,” Brint said. “You have to be very communicative and make sure that the seniors understand what you are trying to accomplish and what the units are going to look like when they are done.”
Frame Architecture is the architect on both projects. Northern Nevada is a new market for Brinshore, but it was previously selected by the Southeastern Nevada Regional Housing Authority to replace and renovate a large housing project in Southern Nevada, Brint said.
Brint credited Lopez and the RHA board for their vision to expand affordable housing options in Northern Nevada.
“They decided they needed to create more housing and redevelop some of their assets,” he said. “They made a decision to go forward with some pretty aggressive plans to expand their capacity and selected us to be their joint-venture partner.
“They are going to end up with a lot more housing, as well as the experience to potentially do more development.”