Cities and suburbs all over the country face the same problem: not enough affordable housing for their own police, firefighters, EMTs, teachers, and lower-level administrative staff in schools and government agencies. C. Kat Grimsley, PhD, has a suggestion: If your school district is building a new school, build housing in the air space above it and put lower-paid public employees at the front of the line to live there, at subsidized rental rates.
Grimsley, who directs the master’s in real estate program at George Mason University, won a competition for best paper from RCLCO Real Estate Advisors for this idea. She tested her theory out using the third-largest school district in Virginia, Loudoun County, where the Area Median Income is $134,464, but where there’s a need for 10,000 affordable rental units for families.
Her scheme envisions a three-story concrete school at the base topped by a three-story wood-framed apartment building. (Such a configuration would meet most local fire codes for wood buildings.) This could yield 42 one-bedroom units (for, say, young single teachers or EMTs making almost nothing), and six each of two- and three-bedroom apartments for families, for a total of 54. The mix could be juggled depending on local needs.
There's a lot to like about this idea. First, land costs for the residential structure would go down to zero, or there could be some cost sharing with the school district. But still a bargain. The school district would already be paying to bring in utilities to the site, so that would be another savings for the apartment portion of the project. The scheme would also step around the “taking issue,” since any land that the school district acquired through eminent domain would be primarily for a public purpose (building the school), not a private one.
Parking could be shared. The school would get use of the parking lot from, say, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school days; the residents could use it after 4 and at night.
Teachers could roll out of bed in the morning and take the elevator to school (there would be separate elevators and entrances for the school and residences). Police, firefighters, EMTs, and school maintenance staff could live in the same town where they work, instead of having to live in a more distant town where the housing is more reasonably priced.
Grimsley focused on using her scheme for new school construction, but the real payoff would come with using existing schools. Loudoun County, for example, has more than 90 education facilities for its 81,622 students. Building in the air rights over an active K-6 would be difficult to impossible, of course. But what about that ground-level parking lot? Could it be converted to structured parking (at school district cost) with housing above? That would be a piece of cake for any builder. School districts need to look into their real estate portfolios to see if there’s land on school properties that could be turned into housing.
Sure, Grimsley’s modest proposal needs more work, but something tells me there’s a brilliant idea here. Do you agree? Disagree? Send me your thoughts at the email below.
Related Stories
MFPRO+ News | Jul 15, 2024
More permits for ADUs than single-family homes issued in San Diego
Popularity of granny flats growing in California
Vertical Transportation | Jul 12, 2024
Elevator regulations responsible for some of ballooning multifamily costs
Codes and regulations for elevators in the United States are a key factor in inflating costs of multifamily development, argues a guest columnist in the New York Times.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Jul 2, 2024
Miami residential condo tower provides a deeded office unit for every buyer
A new Miami residential condo office tower sweetens the deal for buyers by providing an individual, deeded and furnished office with each condo unit purchased. One Twenty Brickell Residences, a 34-story, 240-unit tower, also offers more than 60,000 sf of exclusive residential amenities.
Student Housing | Jul 1, 2024
Two-tower luxury senior living community features wellness and biophilic elements
A new, two-building, 27-story senior living community in Tysons, Va., emphasizes wellness and biophilic design elements. The Mather, a luxury community for adults aged 62 and older, is situated on a small site surrounded by high-rises.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Jun 27, 2024
Chicago’s long-vacant Spire site will be home to a two-tower residential development
In downtown Chicago, the site of the planned Chicago Spire, at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, has sat vacant since construction ceased in the wake of the Great Recession. In the next few years, the site will be home to a new two-tower residential development, 400 Lake Shore.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 25, 2024
New York mayor releases multi-year plan to address affordable housing crisis
The plan seeks to create and preserve affordable housing. It will incentivize the inclusion of permanently affordable and rent stabilized housing in new, multi-family construction projects.
Student Housing | Jun 25, 2024
P3 student housing project with 176 units slated for Purdue University Fort Wayne
A public/private partnership will fund a four-story, 213,000 sf apartment complex on Purdue University Fort Wayne’s (PFW’s) North Campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The P3 entity was formed exclusively for this property.
Apartments | Jun 25, 2024
10 hardest places to find an apartment in 2024
The challenge of finding an available rental continues to increase for Americans nation-wide. On average, there are eight prospective tenants vying for the same vacant apartment.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 24, 2024
‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ movement could create more affordable housing
The so-called “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement, where houses of worship convert their properties to housing, could help alleviate the serious housing crisis affecting many communities around the country.
Student Housing | Jun 20, 2024
How student housing developments are evolving to meet new expectations
The days of uninspired dorm rooms with little more than a bed and a communal bathroom down the hall are long gone. Students increasingly seek inclusive design, communities to enhance learning and living, and a focus on wellness that encompasses everything from meditation spaces to mental health resources.