Jan 14, 2005 By Paul Sunyak 4 min read

The Fayette County Housing Authority has unanimously approved submitting a $20 million federal grant application that serves as the backbone of a planned $39.4 million makeover of the Bierer Wood Acres public housing project. But the Thursday vote doesn’t guarantee that the local housing authority will get an approximate one-eighth chunk of the $150 million available nationwide for HOPE VI revitalization funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Before casting her vote in the affirmative, Chairwoman Angela M. Zimmerlink asked Michael Polite, president of authority development partner Ralph A. Falbo Inc., who would end up owning the South Union Township site if the deal goes through.

Polite said the housing authority would continue owning the land but would lease it to the limited partnership that will construct 152 new senior and family housing units, in a long-term deal of 40 to 50 years.

“Will they (those buildings) ever be owned by the FCHA?” asked Zimmerlink.

Polite replied, “We didn’t get that far … that’s something we need to work out.”

Board member William “Trip” Radcliffe said that since the authority will retain ownership of the land, it’s logical to assume that at the end of the proverbial day – however far down the road that may be – the authority will wind up owning the buildings, too.

Zimmerlink also asked Polite what would occur if the authority didn’t get the full amount of HOPE VI money it is requesting from HUD, in terms of impacting the second major prong of financing, which is applying for $18.5 million in low-income housing tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

Polite said that any award from HUD would permit at least some of the work to be done, perhaps in a different and scaled-down version of the redevelopment plan. “If you get less than $20 million (from HUD), there’s still a version of the plan that can be done,” he said.

Polite added that even with $10 million worth of HUD money in hand, the tax credits are a virtual lock because the FCHA would have in hand a “powerful magnet” that would push it to the top of the PHFA list.

The full-blown development plan also calls for the authority to pony up $1 million in local matching funds, which Zimmerlink confirmed with Executive Director Thomas L. Harkless would come from the authority’s $3 million yearly allotment from HUD for capital improvements.

The most recent itineration of the development plan calls for no displacement of tenants at Bierer Wood, which currently has 86 family housing units. Sheldon Goettel of Perfido Weiskopf Architects said the latest configuration includes 66 units of family housing and 86 units of senior housing, and will be built in two phases so that no one has to relocate from the site.

Repeating a concern he’s raised before, board Vice Chairman James V. Bitonti quizzed Polite on when the authority would receive written confirmation that if the project succeeds, the limited partnership will contract with the FCHA for management and maintenance services.

Bitonti, whose son works in the authority’s maintenance department, has long said that job preservation is one of his goals. “When are we going to be able to see that document?” Bitonti asked. Polite said it could be forthcoming soon.

Board secretary Beverly Beal also stressed her concern with maintaining jobs as much as that is possible.

Representing current residents of Bierer Wood and former residents of now-demolished Lemon Wood Acres where she once lived, Lisa Rucker presented the board with petitions to rebuild Bierer Wood signed by approximately 250 people, including those living in or near the complex.

Debbie Emerlick, vice president of the Bierer Wood Acres tenant council, told the board that people who live there are in need of better housing.

In Harkless’ monthly executive director’s report, he noted that the authority has 192 vacancies, with 29 off-line due to remodeling. That leaves 163 units available for rental, a vacancy rate of 12.3 percent.