LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An affordable housing project in west Louisville will offer more than 100 apartments for low-income senior residents.
On the fifth and top floor of the Gateway on Broadway building, progress is being made on the forthcoming apartments.
Steve Gallahue is the project manager for what is a complete restoration and transformation of a building that sat vacant for years.
“We are on a conveyer belt-type of system to where we start everything on that fifth floor and then when one genre gets done on the fifth floor, they go to the next floor and start their work there and so on,” Gallahue said.
Framing is complete on the fifth floor, and windows are getting installed. This is a major benchmark in any construction project because once a floor is weather-sealed, drywall, HVAC and electrical services can be installed.
When complete, the Gateway on Broadway project will offer 116 apartments of 600 square feet each for low-income seniors. The landmark building in Louisville’s Russell neighborhood has been in the works for years, and later this month will mark one year since the groundbreaking.
Gallahue said some apartments may be earmarked for residents of Dosker Manor, the city's largest low-income housing complex which leaders announced earlier this year is on the verge of demolition. This means residents will be relocated to other apartments within the housing voucher network.
“It’s been made public to their residents that they will have to relocate, so I think they are doing some voluntary relocations," Gallahue said. "People are looking for other places, but there is a huge lack of affordable housing right now."
The Housing Partnership, Inc, a nonprofit real estate organization, is leading the project. Its CFO Patrick Cornett said Gateway on Broadway is a testament that large-scale developments like this are possible.
“But gosh, there are so many older buildings that could be repurposed like this if the federal and state local resources were there," Cornett said. "There’s just a huge shortage.”
He added the people who will benefit the most are the residents of Russell neighborhood, and with project-based vouchers, future residents will afford to live in the restored historic building.
Cornett and Gallahue said they're both confident there can be more affordable housing projects like Gateway on Broadway, but everyone must play a part to make it possible. The apartments are expected to be complete and ready for tenants by spring 2025.