Community Preservation Funds Approved for 2 Affordable Housing Projects & Work at the Commander’s Mansion
By Charlie Breitrose for Watertown News
Willow Park
The Council also approved $2 million to go toward the affordable housing project known as Willow Park at 8 Quimby St. The total cost of the project is $121 million, Gallagher said, and will include demolishing 60 existing units and creating a new building with 78 more units (138 total).
The $2 million in Community Preservation funds is on top of $4 million previously approved by the City Council. Gallagher said the money is helping to replace funds that were lost.
“We have gotten to the point where, unfortunately, the state, and with the financial picture of the federal and the state government, (the project) lost a couple of million dollars,” Gallagher said.
Councilor Vincent Piccirilli recommended adding the stipulation for the funding, as was done with the previous allocation, that it is based on the condition that the rest of the funding be secured for the project.
City Council President Mark Sideris said he looks forward to the Willow Park project being built.
“I can’t wait to see this get going, and hopefully this can get going sooner rather than later,” Sideris said. “This is a much larger project which has a much bigger effect on a lot more people, and I think it’s really worthy, and I’m fully supportive of adding additional $2 million to help move the process along. And hopefully our state delegation can help us move that part of the process along as well.”
The Council approved the project unanimously, with $1 million coming from the housing reserve fund and $1 million from the unreserved fund.