The Marion City Council has approved the first step in creating an Urban Revitalization Area that will bring 96 new affordable housing units to the city, a move addressing Marion’s ongoing housing shortage. At its meeting March 7, the council passed a resolution adopting the proposed Urban Revitalization Plan in the Rookwood Estates development on […]
The Marion City Council has approved the first step in creating an Urban Revitalization Area that will bring 96 new affordable housing units to the city, a move addressing Marion’s ongoing housing shortage.
At its meeting March 7, the council passed a resolution adopting the proposed Urban Revitalization Plan in the Rookwood Estates development on the east side of Marion.
The plan will provide a 10-year sliding scale of incentives for the 96-unit project, including property tax added-value exemptions of 80% for the first three years, 70% for the next three years, 60% for the seventh through ninth years, and 40% for the 10th year.
Under the plan, eight 12-unit buildings will be constructed south of Fernow Road and east of Rookwood Lane in
the Rookwood Estates development, comprising a total of 96 market-rate rental townhomes.
The homes will be provided for Marion residents “in a market range that was identified by the recent Maxfield Study as a great need in the city,” according to council documents. The study “identified rental and owner occupancy overall needs totals for housing types totaling 2,736 units from 2022-2030.”
An ordinance formally creating the Urban Revitalization Area will be considered by the council at future meetings, beginning March 21.
Chad Pelley of
2040 Building Concepts, the developer of Rookwood Estates, told the council that as a Marion native, the Rookwood Estates project is important to him.
“I just wanted to be part of Team Marion again,” Mr. Pelley said. “Everybody talks about all the great things happening in Marion, and one of the things I feel makes America great is the partnership of public and private. It’s tough for us to do affordable housing that’s quality for all in this neighborhood, and we can’t do it without the partnership with the city council.”
The units themselves will be similar in design to existing townhomes on Bison Court along Highway 13 in Marion, featuring a two-story living area with a drive-under garage, Mr. Pelley said.
