Laconia Area Community Land Trust

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Laconia Area Community Land Trust is an experienced and accomplished non-profit developer of permanently affordable family housing. We were named 2010 NH Business of the Decade in the Construction/Real Estate/Engineering category by Business NH Magazine and received a Business Excellence Award in 2006 from NH Business Review.

Our affordable housing inventory consists of 135 permanently affordable apartments in Laconia and Meredith, a 13-unit manufactured housing park in Meredith with 5 rental units and 8 homeownership units, and 2 permanently affordable home-ownership homes: 1 in Tilton and 1 in Laconia. (Click here for a complete list). We have invested over $41.8 million in neighborhood revitalization projects. These projects yield tremendous impact for the community and local tax base. As part of our commitment to the community, we pay real estate taxes on all our properties.

We currently have 163 units in our development pipeline. 28 units in Tilton are under construction and will be ready for occupancy in late 2010.

In the Fall of 2009, we completed the development of Pinecrest Apartments and Frances Court Manufactured Housing Park in Meredith.

Pinecrest

The development of Pinecrest Apartments and Frances Court Manufactured Housing Park is another success in our work to create permanently affordable housing for working families, improve streetscapes, and revitalize neighborhoods. The project was completed in three phases:

Phase 1 was the road work. Sewer and water were brought down Boynton Road, sidewalks were installed, and the road was paved.

Phase 2 involved the relocation and upgrade of the former Crestview Manufactured Housing Park to make room for the new construction. The park has been renamed Frances Court Manufactured Housing Park. It is our hope that in the future the residents of Frances Court, who have formed a co-op, will take ownership of the park. Until that time, the park will remain owned and operated by the Land Trust.

Phase 3 was the construction of Pinecrest Apartments - 32 units in 4 buildings.

Pinecrest is LEED certified and incorporates many green building features and energy efficiencies. Its 32 permanently affordable apartments range in size from 1-3 bedrooms. Most rents are based on 30% of the household’s annual adjusted gross income. Income restrictions apply.

Frances Court is a 13-unit park offering a mix of rental and homeownership units.

Development History:

Our work began when the residents of Laconia’s most run-down, crime-ridden neighborhood asked for help in redeveloping the area. Grossly substandard buildings in the Avery Hill Neighborhood of Laconia were either demolished and rebuilt or completely renovated resulting in 7 buildings containing 14 units of affordable family housing, green space, and a playground. The following photos are of the Avery Hill Development.

Over the next several years, we completely renovated 24 homes scattered throughout Laconia as well as the former Batchelder Street School building to create 65 additional units of safe, decent, permanently affordable family housing. The following photos are before and after pictures of one of those renovated units.

In 2004, we redeveloped the abandoned Vernitron factory site in Laconia. The factory building, which had become an eyesore at the gateway to downtown Laconia, was demolished and replaced with 5 attractive, colonial-style buildings containing 18 brand new apartments for low and moderate income families. This property has received awards and recognition including The Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award from the National Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition – Honorable Mention in the Rural Housing Category (2006); Award for Excellence in Urban Redevelopment by the Laconia Planning Board (2006); and Greater Laconia-Weirs Beach Chamber of Commerce Golden Hammer Award (2006);

The following photos are of the Millview development.

In the fall of 2006, we completed renovation of the Mechanic School building in Lakeport (pictured below). This building, like our Batchelder Street School building, offers 4 one-bedroom units and 2 two-bedroom units.

It is an Energy Star® certified building. A 6-panel solar electric system provides electricity for the building's common areas. The Mechanic School was recognized with a Plan NH Merit Award (2007) and a Greater Laconia-Weirs Beach Chamber of Commerce Golden Trowel Award (2007). We continue to work diligently in this difficult real estate market to develop more single-family homeownership homes.