Woodring Apartments, a mixed-income and resilient workforce housing complex, was unveiled to Lake Charles residents on Monday — nearly four years after Hurricanes Laura and Delta devastated the region’s housing market.
“This $42 million investment in downtown Lake Charles was undertaken with intentionality specifically to stimulate economic development,” said Joshua Collen, president of HRI Communities. “Ensuring that downtown was a priority for recovery efforts from the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Laura and Delta was paramount in the reason why we selected this long-vacant, underutilized lot.”
The 110-unit development — located at the corners of Division, Bilbo, Hodges and Mill streets — was built in two phases. Phase I included a 58-unit multifamily apartment building and a 12-unit townhouse building. The unit mix includes 41 workforce units, eight affordable units and 21 market rate units. Phase II included two townhouse buildings containing 19 and 21 units. The unit mix includes 34 workforce units and six affordable units. Email newsletter signup Sign up for our daily email newsletter
“The 110 units that we have created provides high-quality apartments for an array of renter needs,” Collen said. “In talking to the Downtown Development Authority and the Downtown Business Association, housing affordable for their workforce that includes proximity to their establishments is key to the growth and longtime success of downtown.”
Amenities include off-street parking, two community rooms — one focused on large gatherings and the other for resident services programming, a fitness center, bicycle parking, grill area with picnic tables and a pocket park. Movie nights have already been held in one of the community rooms, Collen said.
The first phase of the development utilized a special appropriation of 9 percent housing tax credits that President Donald Trump attained from Congress during the end of his first term in office. The second phase utilized 4 percent housing credits that were unlocked by taxes and bonds approved by the Louisiana Bond Commission.
Louis Russell, chief of multifamily housing development at Louisiana Housing Corporation, said the vision for Woodring was to build a vibrant, mixed-income community.
“The thoughtful design, the gated community, the aesthetics and, of course, the curb appeal … I don’t know where I’ll be when I retire, but this looks like a nice spot,” Russell said with a laugh.
LHC contributed $2 million in low-income housing tax credits and the Louisiana Office of Community Development Housing contributed $18 million in Community Block Grant funds.
“The project is more than just housing. It’s more than a place for individuals to lay their heads at night,” Russell said. “It’s a place for communities to be able to dream about their future tomorrow and having a safe, decent, affordable place to do that.”
The project incorporates Enterprise Green Communities criteria and disaster resiliency and building techniques under the Institute for Business and Home Safety’s Fortified Multifamily Gold resiliency objectives. “Lake Charles has been through a lot over the last several years,” City Administrator John Cardone said. “After Hurricanes Laura and Delta, we were in need of housing, but not just regular housing. We needed good, sustainable housing and I assure you this facility has sustainability.”
State Treasurer John Fleming said south Louisiana will eventually be hit by a hurricane again and the apartment community is built with concrete flooring that is sealed, the structure is built up to avoid flooding and the construction was “hyper-built” to withstand strong winds.
“That will ultimately save the state, it will save insurance and many others a lot of money,” Fleming said.
