Milestone marks the first step towards rebuilding the public housing community  

Pennrose and the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA) have started demolition on Newtowne 20, the public housing site located off Forest Drive in Annapolis, Maryland. Construction on the new residential community is slated to begin in late October.

Plans for the revitalized development include replacing all 78 existing units with modern, energy-efficient apartments in a mix of different layouts and building types; new infrastructure and utilities; a brand new approximately 3,500 sf community building with space for resident activities and programming; and new basketball court and tot lot. Plans for the development incorporate considerable open space, all laid out in a pedestrian-scale, traditional neighborhood setting. Previous Newtowne 20 residents have been temporarily re-housed and will have the opportunity to return to the new development once complete.

 “We are excited about entering the demolition phase with our partner, Pennrose, to begin the process of transforming the Newtowne 20 community. No one ever thought one of the challenges would be entering construction of a major development during a national pandemic, but HACA and Pennrose have stepped up to meet that challenge in order to keep this project moving forward. This demolition phase brings us one step closer to the beautiful new homes our residents deserve,” said Melissa Maddox-Evans, Executive Director/CEO at HACA.

The Newtowne 20 redevelopment involves a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program which enables housing authorities to convert public housing properties, supported under the traditionally underfunded public housing model, to a more stable Section 8, voucher-based model, allowing the project to leverage private funding sources. Funding for the redevelopment initiative is being provided through various programs administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and its Community Development Administration, local funds from Arundel Community Development Services and the City of Annapolis, and private funding from Bank of America including a construction loan and Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity investment, with a permanent mortgage facilitated by Hunt Real Estate Capital.

“Starting demolition on the existing, vacant Newtowne 20 complex is a very exciting milestone for this transformative redevelopment project,” said Patrick Stewart, Senior Developer at Pennrose. “We’re one critical step closer to welcoming former Newtowne 20 residents and families into their brand new, high-quality homes.”

Pennrose and HACA have a successful track record partnering on public housing redevelopments, including the award-winning, three-phase redevelopment of Obery Court and College Creek in downtown Annapolis.

Pennrose has a regional office in Baltimore and is active throughout the Mid-Atlantic region with high-quality residential communities in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Pennrose is currently leasing Pointe View at Aspen Hill, an affordable senior housing community in Silver Spring, Maryland.