Seniors Housing & Healthcare Trends

MELBOURNE: A developer is now planning to expand an existing 47-unit affordable seniors housing community.

The St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) plans to expand Clearview Park Apartments with a four-story, 47-unit building that would give leasing preference to seniors, while renovating the community’s existing affordable family housing.

The project at 3200 37th Avenue North would bring new apartments to an undeveloped portion of the property and update homes that have served residents for more than four decades.

For SPHA President and CEO Michael Lundy, the decision to pursue senior housing started with the agency’s waiting list.

“We look at the waiting list, and we see a lot of need for elderly housing,” Lundy said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

Clearview Park currently has 22 garden-style apartments that were built in 1982 on a 3.12-acre site owned by the housing authority.

Under the proposal, 18 existing apartments would be renovated, while four would be demolished to create road access to the new building. Once complete, the property would have 65 apartments, a net increase of 43.

The new building would occupy roughly an acre of open land toward the back of the property.

Plans prepared by MLK Architecture show a 55,652-square-foot building with 39 one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments and eight two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments.

Apartments would range from 680 to 923 square feet.

The ground floor would include a lobby, management offices, a meeting room, and indoor bicycle storage, while the upper floors would have community activity spaces.

Plans call for 61 parking spaces across the property.

Lundy said the amenities are still being determined, but the goal is to provide places where residents can meet, socialize, and participate in activities.

The existing apartments would continue serving families and receive extensive interior improvements. Anticipated upgrades include new cabinets, countertops, flooring, windows, and fresh paint.

SPHA will also evaluate whether washer and dryer hookups can be added inside the apartments, which currently rely on an on-site laundry facility.

The work would require careful coordination with the families already living at Clearview.

Lundy said SPHA has been meeting with residents, presenting the proposal, and gathering feedback.

Construction sequencing has not been finalized, but one possibility is to build the new apartments first, allowing eligible older residents to move into the senior building before renovations begin.

Those moves could free up apartments within the existing community and reduce the number of households needing relocation elsewhere.

For residents whose apartments must be vacated during renovations, Lundy said SPHA would arrange relocation and offer the option to return once the work is complete.

Households affected by demolition would be rehoused on the property or elsewhere, depending on availability and eligibility.

The application lists an estimated project value of $13 million, although Lundy cautioned that the figure is preliminary. A more precise budget will depend on completed architectural drawings and construction bids.

SPHA is working with development partner Trouble Creek Road Development, which is affiliated with LEMA Construction.

Lundy said a general contractor has not been selected, and the housing authority would manage the community after development.

Before construction can begin, the team needs to secure financing.

Lundy said SPHA intends to apply for an anticipated second round of city-administered Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding in early 2027.

The federal program supports long-term recovery from disasters, including the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing.

If funding is secured in the first quarter of 2027, Lundy said construction could begin in late 2027 or early 2028.

The financing will also determine the apartments’ final income restrictions. Although the application identifies senior housing at 60% of Area Median Income (AMI), Lundy said the affordability requirements have not been finalized and will depend on the funding sources.

The Clearview proposal is one of several housing projects SPHA is pursuing.

In partnership with Blue Sky Communities, the agency is moving forward with The Hartford Apartments and renovations to the existing Saratoga Apartments. The combined project includes 75 new apartments and the rehabilitation of 34 existing apartments, and was recommended for $7.4 million in city-administered disaster-recovery funding.

Lundy said the partnership has since secured city funding and is targeting a construction start in late 2027 or early 2028.

SPHA is also converting the former Edward White Hospital in North Kenwood into The Edward White Campus. The six-story, 121,000-square-foot building will include 71 affordable apartments for seniors in households earning at or below 80% of AMI, along with the housing authority’s administrative offices and an Evara Health clinic.

Lundy expects that project to be completed in the second quarter of 2027, with SPHA planning to move its offices into the building in April.