West Bank golf course to be transformed into 1st-time homebuyer neighborhood
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The houses in the development will have a midcentury modern design. Rendering: New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity
An old golf course in Terrytown is being converted into a planned community for first-time homebuyers and senior citizens.
Driving the news: New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity and community leaders broke ground Monday on Rising Oaks, a 150-house development next to Athlos Academy and Hong Kong Market.
- The goal is to make it a community of affordable homes for educators, first responders, musicians, hospitality workers and others in the so-called middle, officials say.
The big picture: Rising Oaks, an estimated $56 million endeavor, is the most ambitious project in Habitat's 40-year history in New Orleans.
- Jefferson Parish and others have given $5 million, and leaders plan to fundraise the rest to develop the 40 acres.
- The goal is to build four houses per month and finish the development in four to five years, according to Jay Huffstatler, Habitat's chief advancement officer.
Zoom in: The development will have single-family homes, smaller homes for people 55+ and mixed-use buildings for a community center, child care, shops and a credit union.
- Plus, there will be a walking trail, dog park and other green space.
- "We should have a place where families can thrive not just exist," said Marguerite Oestreicher, Habitat's executive director.
The details: The homes are built in a midcentury modern style, which Habitat execs say is a nod to Terrytown, the first planned community in Jefferson Parish in the 1960s.
Context: Habitat's last big project was Musicians' Village, which has 81 homes in the Upper 9th Ward.
How it works: Habitat allows eligible people to buy a home with 0% financing.
- In lieu of a downpayment, homebuyers put in 250 hours of "sweat equity," volunteering with Habitat and other community organizations, according to Emma Weiss, Habitat's outreach director. (More about the process)
What he's saying: Owning a Habitat home gave musician Steve Glenn a "level of calm that only comes from not stressing about making a rent that's too high."
- Increasing rents are driving out too many of his culture bearer friends, he told the crowd gathered for the groundbreaking.
