The Housing Authority of the City of Aurora (AHA) has begun the construction of Liberty View at Fitzsimons on a 2.3-acre site located next to the Veterans Community Living Center at Fitzsimons. The $20 million tax credit financed deal has been in the works for more than a decade and will create 59 independent living apartments for Veterans age 62 and older.
“AHA has been working to make this project a reality for over 10 years and we are excited to see it finally come out of the ground. The Aurora Housing Authority has a long tradition of serving Vets and this development serves a very deserving sector of Veterans with affordable apartments,” said Craig A. Maraschky, the executive director of AHA.
Studio Completiva is the architect and Alliance Construction Solutions is the general contractor for the project.
The community of 49 one-bedroom, one-bath, and 10 two-bedroom, one-bath apartments, will center on honoring and enhancing lives through design, the human-scale movement provided through walking paths, bike storage, and natural wayfinding to existing bus stops.
Liberty View is conveniently located within a half-mile of Fitzsimons Station light rail station. Veterans and their families can take full advantage of medical care offered at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center located just over a mile away.
“Liberty View is a once in a lifetime opportunity made possible by the legislative foresight to dedicate and develop this land for Veteran housing,” said Dayna Ashley-Oehm, development director at AHA. “This legacy project required creative thinking from all levels of government.”
Funding for the development will combine state and federal LIHTC equity, construction and permanent debt from FirstBank, an affordable land lease from the State Department of Human Services, a CDBG grant from the City of Aurora, a low-interest loan from the Colorado Division of Housing, deferred developer fees, and owner funds. AHA will dedicate 14 Project-Based Vouchers to ensure deep, and long-term affordability.