Gainesville's first mixed-level income community is now less than two months away from housing its first residents.
Walton Summit is under construction on the EE Butler Highway property once occupied by Green Hunter Homes, Gainesville's first public housing complex. The demolition of the old apartments began just over a year ago and now the first phase of the new community should be up and running by mid-April.
Katie McMahon, the property manager for the new mixed-level income community said management held an informational meeting for potential residents on Jan. 10 and began taking online applications the following day. The on-site leasing office opened this past Tuesday, Feb. 6.
"People can come by here to get information," said McMahon. "However, all that information [and leasing applications] is on our webpage."
McMahon categorized interest in the new development as high.
"We already have five applications that have been approved, so that means we have five new residents that will be moving in in April," McMahon said. "We're up to 210 applications right now."
McMahon pointed out there are just 93 apartments available in Phase I of the development, which is the family phase, meaning there are no age restrictions. She said she anticipates Phase I will be fully leased by March, well in advance of a mid-April move-in time.
As a mixed-level community, Walton Summit will offer public housing, affordable housing and market-rate housing, a model that is different from anything else in Gainesville.
"We have 13 apartments that have been set aside for a HUD subsidy that comes through the Gainesville Housing Authority," said McMahon.
She said they took applications for those units on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31 and will do a lottery-type drawing from qualified applications for those apartments.
"The majority of the apartments here are under our affordable program, which has income parameters," McMahon said. "And then we also have 19 apartments in this first phase that are conventional market rate apartments."
With Phase I - the family phase - nearing completion, workers have also started construction on Phase II - the legacy phase. McMahon said the building, located just behind the leasing trailer, will house adults ages 55 and older. She said the same three-tiered leasing model will be used for that phase of the development, as well.
