The Kenai City Council has taken a step toward donating two parcels of land to the Kenai Peninsula Housing Initiative so that they can be turned into senior and low-income housing.
After an executive session to discuss the possible donation last week, Council directed City Manager Rick Koch to create resolutions so that they can vote on the possible donation.
Koch: “The directed me to put together a resolutions that would provide site control of two properties, or one lot and then a portion of another tract, so that Kenai Peninsula Housing Initiative is then able to include in their grant application that they have site control that is valued at whatever that might be for those two properties.”
KPHI hopes to build a six-plex for seniors on 2nd Avenue and a multi-family building for restricted income families on Redoubt Ave.
In addition to the creation of the resolutions, Council directed Koch to reject an unsolicited offer received by the city for the 1.25 acre parcel located on Second Street.
Executive Director Steve Rouse gave a timeline for if the donation of land is approved…
Rouse: “If we gain site control and we’re successful in obtaining the grant funding needed to help defray some of the cost of construction – we put in our own money, we have to incur debt to do it – but if we get the money and put together the financing package then we would know by January of next year, 2017, and we would have the units ready to be occupied within 12 months after that.”
The City Council will vote on the resolutions created by Koch. Rouse previously said that even if the land is donated but KPHI does not get grant funding, the units can not become a reality.
