Community Development Celebrated the Groundbreaking Ceremony of Southern Hotel Project
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Aug 27, 2023, 1 Comment
Courtesy Noraida Negron,
Laredo, Texas – The City of Laredo Community Development Department celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony of the Southern Hotel Apartments Rehabilitation Project, located at 1210 Matamoros St. This project will provide additional affordable rental housing units, available for low-to-moderate-income households. Overall, the plans include a total of 22 housing units (1 bedroom and studio units), of which 9 will be at market rent and 13 will be for low-income applicants. The funding for this project comes in part from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the Section 108 Loan Program and HOME Investment Partnership Program all through the U.S Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) funds.
The City received HUD approval on January 26, 2023 for the Section 108 loan which will help with the conversion of the Southern Hotel, into mixed income rental housing. Section 108 will provide the ability to leverage the annual grant allocation to access low-cost, flexible financing for economic development, housing, public facility, and infrastructure projects. The historical building would otherwise deteriorate and/or be demolished.
The Southern Hotel is a three-story Victorian commercial structure that was among the community’s flagship hotels at the start of the 20th century and was part of the original Hamilton Hotel back in 1915. All design elements have been reviewed and approved by the Laredo Landmark Board and Texas Historical Commission.
This project is estimated to be completed within 18 months.
why does the mayors wife have to be a part of this? why is she involved in city business period?