EGLESTON SQ.—Urban Edge is planning on developing 40 to 50 affordable rental units in Egleston Square, adjacent to the Egleston Square Branch Library at 2044 Columbus Ave.
Urban Edge planned to host a community meeting at the Library Feb. 28, after the Gazette’s deadline, to discuss the project with the neighborhood.
According to Urban Edge Director of Community Engagement Katie Provencher, the Walker Park Apartments project would create 40 to 50 affordable rental homes split over two buildings at 67 and 80 Walnut Park. The lot next to the library and directly behind 67 Walnut Park, 2040 Columbus Ave., would be split between open space and parking for the new apartments.
The project is named after long-time Egleston Square-area resident and community organizer Delphine Walker, who once lived at 80 Walnut Park. She was a crucial part of creating the Hands Around Egleston fair, Provencher said.
Provencher told the Gazette this week that Urban Edge has hosted about half a dozen meetings with elected officials and various community members. Urban Edge Project Manager Peter Erhartic added that nothing has yet been filed with the city, but Urban Edge does plan to make the first filings “soon.”
Erhartic also said that this project has received grant funding as part of a city “Lean Pilot” program, to create ways to create affordable housing more inexpensively without sacrificing quality.
“We’re engaging a lot of stakeholders earlier in the design process to make sure their voices are heard, to prevent redesigns later on,” he said.