April 28, 2022

A brick building with side walk facing a road with  a mix of women, men and children outside, along with bicyclist in the road.

Proposal to Reuse Industrial Site in Rhode Island Wins 2022 Affordable Housing Development Competition

An arts centered community that proposes to breathe new life into historic buildings with community-oriented programing in an old industrial district of Providence, Rhode Island, received the first-place prize in the 22nd Annual Affordable Housing Development Competition.

More About the Annual Affordable Housing Development Competition

The competition drew six entries from groups of graduate students interested in architecture, real estate, planning, finance, and policy who teamed up with local affordable housing organizations.

The winning proposal, Del Toro, was presented by a student team from Harvard University, MIT, and Northeastern University, in collaboration with One Neighborhood Builders, ICON Architecture, and a finance mentor from Citizens Bank.

According to the team’s proposal, Del Toro’s strives “to preserve affordability in an up-and-coming neighborhood so that those pioneering this artistic community can afford to stay in it.” The mixed-use initiative aims to create 56 affordable rental units and seven historic for-sale lofts designed to achieve Passive House standards.

The new apartments will range in size from studio to three-bedrooms and be 100% affordable. Community amenities, including artist workspace, a café, and a restaurant with patio seating, will enhance the vibrancy of the local community.

The winning team and developer shared the $10,000 first-place prize.

“Every year, I’m impressed by the creativity and ingenuity showcased in the housing proposals. This year’s proposals ranged from historical rehabilitation and reuse to new construction of workforce housing that serve a diversity of residents in urban, suburban, and rural locations,” said Kenneth Willis, senior vice president, director of housing and community investment at Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBank Boston). “Congratulations to all the participants for their commitment to finding housing solutions. I’m grateful that our sponsors once again partnered with us to make this competition successful.”

The competition was sponsored by FHLBank Boston, Boston Society for Architecture, CohnReznick, Kuehn Charitable Foundation, ICON Architecture Inc., and Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association.

The competition was judged by Kenan Bigby of Trinity Financial; Christopher Bonarrigo of bKL Architecture; Rawn M. Duncan of Citizens Bank; David Eisen of Abacus Architects + Planners; Peter Freeman of Freeman Law Group LLC; and Ryan Montoni of New Ecology, Inc.

Awards were also presented to:

  • Second place: Granite Gardens, a proposal to create a multi-phased community rooted in nature and sanctuary for low-income seniors in Hooksett, New Hampshire. The first phase provides 92 housing units to meet the increasing demand for affordable senior housing. The team included students from Harvard University, MIT, Tufts University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology, who collaborate with Winn Development, Davis Square Architects, and a finance mentor from Eastern Bank.
  • Third place: Hollis Street Project, which proposes to create 40 affordable units for low-income employees of the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua, New Hampshire. The development proposal was driven by students at Harvard University, MIT, and Wentworth Institute of Technology in partnership with Southern New Hampshire Health and NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire, Meandor Studio Collaborative Design, and a finance mentor from Northmark Bank.

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