A much-needed redevelopment is underway for the Mellon’s Orchard Apartments in East Liberty. ELDI has owned and managed the Mellon’s Orchard Apartments since 2009. The property, which consists of six buildings and a vacant lot on the 300 block of North Negley Avenue between Rippey and Rural Streets, was in poor condition when it was acquired due to its age. While it is always a difficult decision to disrupt the lives of tenants, the existing buildings are too old to feasibly be kept in a safe, habitable condition and need to be replaced. In order to preserve and expand the affordable housing on the site, ELDI and HELP worked with the local developer, Mellon’s Orchard Investment Partners, to create a plan to guarantee strong affordable housing at the site. The planned project will include a mix of affordable and market rate units, potentially expanding the amount of available affordable housing at this location with a brand new, class A residential facility.
The new building is planned to include enough affordable apartments to allow the residents to return once the building is complete. Rents will be affordable to tenants making 50% of the Area Median Income, which is in line with current rents at Mellon’s Orchard Apartments, and the developer will accept Section 8 vouchers from those tenants who pay rent through that program. Rents will be affordable for a commitment of at least 35 years.
Every effort is being made to ensure that the current tenants will receive all the assistance they need to have a smooth and successful relocation during the redevelopment period. You can read all about our plans around this and more about the redevelopment in the HELP Initiative press release.