UPDATE 5/2020: CBA revised and executed on December 19, 2019 to include North of Washington Avenue Coalition (NOWAC).
SOSNA has an important role in ensuring that residents have input into neighborhood development and can collectively work to improve the quality of life in our community. As the coordinating RCO, we have collected significant community input through numerous public meetings about proposed projects on Washington Avenue and actively worked with each development team proposing a project to ensure that community input was incorporated.
This week SOSNA’s Board of Directors approved and signed a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with Fitler Estates LLC, the developer of 2401-25 Washington Avenue and North of Washington Avenue Coalition (NOWAC) to provide for neighborhood amenities, inclusive employment opportunities, and workforce housing on Washington Avenue.
CBAs are an important tool to ensure that long-standing community asks and needs are incorporated in current and future projects.
As part of this process, SOSNA engaged with other important neighborhood RCOs, conducted outreach to the community, held public meetings, facilitated a survey that was distributed via email and hand-distributed to near neighbors on Kimball, and worked with Fitler Estates LLC to craft an agreement that incorporates the features and amenities that community members expressed an interest in.
SOSNA’s Board of Directors and Zoning Committee also sought input from community development organizations and local community-based organizations in drafting the CBA.
2401 Washington Avenue will include 10% affordable workforce housing at 30% of gross monthly income for households earning up to 60% Area Median Income (AMI), $100 monthly utility credit, preference for Minority/Women/Disabled-Owned Enterprises for project contractors and commercial tenants, local hiring in zip codes 19145, 19146, 19147 and 19148, wider sidewalks, better bike infrastructure, more trees, a building design that maintains historic aesthetic of the Avenue’s industrial past, use of durable and high quality materials, ADA accessible infrastructure, and more.
We want to express our thanks to the community members and organizations who provided input into this process. In the next step in this process, Councilman Johnson will introduce legislation on Thursday, May 22 to provide the zoning needed for the project to move forward.
