Six years after the original structure burned down, the new Windsor Manor Apartments are open and at full capacity. The $4.7 million, 32 unit structure has one and two bedroom apartments and aims to be an affordable option for those 62 and older. (Journal-Tribune photo by Kevin Behrens)
After a catastrophic fire six years ago, residents are living in Windsor Manor once again.
The new building, Windsor Manor Apartments, is completely occupied after less than four months since opening the application, according to Scott Hunley with Showe Companies.
“It goes to show the demand for affordable housing of this nature,” he said.
The new apartments were developed in partnership between Showe Companies and Marysville Housing Inc.
The $4.7 million building offers 32 units – 25 one-bedroom apartments and seven two-bedroom apartments. The two-story complex is equipped with an elevator.
It offers affordable units to income-eligible residents, with a preference for those 62 years of age and older.
Hunley said the largest undertaking required by the project was ensuring the apartments would be reasonably priced for those in the community.
To do so, he said the development company spent three years applying for federal housing tax credits provided by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. The project was awarded the credits in 2017, Hunley said.
Windsor Manor Apartments also receives a rental subsidy from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
For that reason, he said rental rates are adjusted depending on the resident’s income.
Hunley said 25 of the units fall under Section 8 housing, meaning eligible occupants earn under 50% of the annual median income in Union County.
The other seven units are designated for individuals with developmental disabilities. Hunley said officials work with OHFA to identify potential occupants who meet eligibility requirements.
Regardless of which of the units a resident lives in, he said they will pay no more than 30% of their gross annual income for rent.
Hunley said a resident with no income would not pay rent, as their subsidy would cover the full amount.
He said the development fills a need in Marysville that is experienced throughout communities statewide: affordable housing for seniors.
“There is a large part of the (senior) population that has modest-to-low incomes and the rental housing market is going up,” Hunley said.
He said it can be difficult for those with “modest incomes” to find rental options.
However, Hunley said Windsor Manor Apartments aim to provide high-quality, affordable housing.
Robert Buckley, with Marysville Housing Inc., said several units will have “accessible features,” like roll-in showers.
Each unit has an open concept living space and individually controlled heat and air conditioning with Energy Star appliances.
He said the apartments also have a multipurpose community room, an onsite management office, a wellness room for use by health professional visits, a fully equipped fitness room, a business center and laundry facilities.
The development features an outdoor sitting area and a community garden. He said it is expected to be Enterprise Green Community certified and will include “many energy saving design features.”
Buckley noted that Marysville Housing Inc. intends to name two communal rooms in honor of Jack Scott and Larry Ohnsman, who worked with the organization to bring housing opportunities like Windsor Manor to Marysville.
Hunley said those who are interested in living in Windsor Manor Apartments can still apply at the rental office. If spaces are not available, they can be placed on a waitlist or move into one of the other four phases of the complex: Windsor Manor North, South, West or East.
The new development replaces the former building, which burned down on May 11, 2014.
At about 1:11 a.m. that morning, a woman from apartment 20H called 911 to report her couch was on fire.
The four-alarm fire destroyed the three-story high-rise structure. At the time, 45 of the complex’s 47 apartments were occupied.
Investigators ruled the cause of the fire as “unsafe cigarette smoking.”
The woman was not charged in connection to the fire. No firefighters were injured battling the flames.
Hunley said the developers knew “we couldn’t repair it, we needed to replace it.”