Plans ramping up for Evansville workforce housing project
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Plans for a former furniture factory near downtown Evansville could be moving forward this year. Our partners at WEHT-TV report officials hope to begin work in earnest to transform the Karges building into workforce housing this spring.
Plans call for transforming the historic building on Maryland Street into the 150-unit Karges Lofts complex, with a portion of units being set aside for households making between 60% and 120% of the area median income.
The city’s site review committee was set to review plans for the project on Monday.
Kolbi Jackson, executive director of the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development, told WEHT that the project will help address a growing need for housing in the city.
“I’m excited for the work that this administration is doing to help close the housing gap, and I’m going to do whatever it is I can to help facilitate those developments moving forward,” Jackson said.
The project was previously estimated to cost about $37 million. Some funding is coming from federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, tax increment financing, and a $3.7 million grant from the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative.
While some interior work has begun at the building, Jackson said it could be three to four months before all permits are approved and construction can really get started.
“I would anticipate by early spring you might see a little bit more movement on the project,” Jackson said. “Like I said, it’s going to depend on the developer and where they are with things.”