United North OK’d for senior housing

State grants tax credits for St. Hedwig site

St. Hedwig Catholic School on Dexter Street, which closed in 2005, will be converted into senior housing.

THE BLADE
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After two failed attempts, United North’s plan to convert a Polish Village school into senior housing has received tax credit funding and will move forward.

The North Toledo agency has plans to turn the former St. Hedwig School into a 44-unit apartment building for low-income seniors. 

Glazer

Terry Glazer, CEO of United North, said the federal tax credits that were approved through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency are worth $886,631 annually for 10 years.

Once sold on the market, the tax credits should provide about $7.5 million in financing for the building project.

The total project should cost about $9.6 million. United North announced the project in 2012, but was rejected twice by the agency for the tax credits, despite high scores on their proposal, Mr. Glazer said.

“The third time was the charm,” Mr. Glazer said.

The school, which dates to 1901, will be converted to 23 apartments on three floors, and the top floor will be used as a community recreation room. A three-story addition will be built that includes 21 apartments.

St. Hedwig Catholic School on Dexter Street, which closed in 2005, will be converted into senior housing.

United North plans to demolish the former convent.

The community development agency has an option to purchase the properties from the Catholic Diocese of Toledo.

Part of United North’s proposal is a dog-fostering program at the home. 

Seniors will help foster dogs before they can be adopted, providing companionship to the residents and fostering for the dogs.

Cranes Landing, a $7 million United North complex on the former site of Chase Elementary, was completed in 2013. 

Mr. Glazer said that low-income senior housing was still needed in North Toledo after Cranes Landing was completed.

The St. Hedwig project is important, he said, because of the need for housing, and because the home is part of a comprehensive redevelopment along Lagrange Street. 

Other United North projects nearby include the One Village Financial Opportunity Center and the recently renovated Ohio Theatre.

When the project was first announced, the Mike Bell administration had committed to asking Toledo City Council for approval of Toledo HOME funding for the project. 

Stacy Weber, spokesman for Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson, said Monday she did not know whether the mayor planned to propose city funding for the project.

Mr. Glazer said the project should be completed in 2017.

Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at: nrosenkrans@theblade.com or 419-724-6086, or on Twitter @NolanRosenkrans.