HAMMOND | The Housing Authority will know by the end of February if the state will grant the tax credits necessary to fund the fifth and final phase of renovations at Columbia Center.
The phase features the construction of 112 new one- or two-bedroom units and will complete the transformation of the affordable housing complex.
The final phase focuses on the center of the complex along 173rd Street and east of Columbia Avenue.
The Hammond City Council approved changes to the plan after a market study was completed that found one- or two-bedroom units were in the highest demand for the area. The plan formerly called for units ranging from one to four bedrooms.
“This is also going to allow us to widen the roads and street ... to current standard so it's easier for plows and big trucks to get through,” said Carmen Paniagua, Hammond Housing Authority executive director.
This summer the Housing Authority unveiled 40 new residential units and nine remodeled units, known at American Heartland Homes 2, at the center. The improvements followed American Heartland Homes 1, Saxony Townhomes at 175th Street and Chestnut Avenue and Golden Manor at 175th Street and Columbia Avenue.
Paniagua said the final phase will have similar features to the finished phases but with a more “homey” feeling.
A second project in Hammond awaiting tax credits is a proposed senior housing complex in the 2100 block of Indianapolis Boulevard. The complex would provide independent living for seniors ages 55 and older.
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