Model Group breaks ground on $4.2M Forest Square development

Cincinnati-based Model Group has broken ground on a new $4.2 million development in Avondale that will create 21, two-bedroom affordable senior housing units.  The Forest Square project is being developed at the corner of Harvey and Rockdale Avenues and is expected to be completed by Fall 2010.

"This is a momentous day for the Avondale community," said Patricia Milton, president of the Avondale Community Council. "Forest Square will provide a new affordable housing option to our seniors allowing them to remain in the community they've called home their entire lives and at the same time, attract new families to the neighborhood."

The development represents a significant investment for the Avondale neighborhood which has recently seen a flurry of new investments lately along the Burnet Avenue corridor with the help of the Uptown Consortium.

"The Uptown area, specifically Avondale, is in the midst of an exciting revitalization and we are proud to be a part of it," said Bobby Maly, The Model Group's Vice President of Development. "We look forward to investing in Avondale with this top quality housing for our seniors."

According to the project team, the new housing units will be made available to senior residents earning at or below sixty-percent of the area's median income.  Forest Square has also been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council as the Model Group intends on achieving LEED certification on the project.  LEED features incorporated into the final design will include low VOC paints, recycled carpeting, low-flow water fixtures, high efficiency furnaces and air conditioning, Energy Star appliances, and energy efficient building systems.

Once complete, neighborhood leaders envision Forest Square as an anchor to the northern edge of the Burnet Avenue corridor - an area previously occupied by vacant lots.

"This is just one of the many projects that demonstrates the City's continued neighborhood investment and strategic partnership which has revitalized the area around Burnet Avenue," said City Manager Milton Dohoney.  "This targeted use of City resources improves the quality of life for all of us who live and work in Cincinnati," Dohoney said.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
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