Affordable housing planned for Coconut Grove

More news from the Coconut Grove Collaborative -- Jihad Rashid (left), president of the Collaborative, introduced a new project to the Village Council on Thursday night. The Collaborative along with the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund is proposing to build a four story affordable housing project in Village West. It would be called the Gibson Community and Education Center.

The 55 unit building would be at 3629 Grand Avenue. The first floor would house the University of Miami School of Education as the marque anchor, along with community space and meeting rooms. The uppers floor would contain one and two bedroom apartments. A two deck parking garage would also be part of the project.

County Commissioners are each in control of about $10.5 million in Government Obligation Bonds which would go to projects such as this. Half of that has been considered by District Commissioner Carlos Gimenez ($5 million) the remaining money would come from the developers, the Pinnacle Housing Group.

"We believe it will be catalytic" said Rashid. He believes it is a good step in keeping the locals who have a history in the West Village. "If we don't make an effort to hold the historical residents we won't have diversity," he said.