Ground was broken during a recent ceremony for the San Marco Heights multi-family affordable housing project on Adair Road off State Road 207.
The project is one of two multi-family, low- to moderate-income rental housing communities financed by the more-than $30 million Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery funds awarded to St. Johns County.
San Marco Heights will encompass 132 units on 15 acres of land and will include an 8,000-square-foot clubhouse and community service facility. The large community space will house a commercial kitchen, co-working space, a tech lab, a library, a children’s game room and a fitness area.
The community service facility will also serve as a shelter for residents in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by St. Johns County Commissioner Henry Dean; Mike O’Donnell, county Housing Finance Authority chair; Darren Smith, principal and owner of development firm Smith & Henzy Advisory Group; as well as other staff, dignitaries and community representatives active in efforts to bring affordable housing to St. Johns County.
“It is the beginning of what I hope, and I think I can speak for my fellow commissioners, several affordable housing projects that we desperately need for St. Johns County,” said Dean.
San Marco Heights will be a special community with a major goal of providing the residents access to key social services such as housing retention, medical and mental health, literacy education, employment assistance, life skills classes and after-school care.
“This is very life changing,” said O’Donnell. “It doesn’t put people on the streets. It gives them a place to live, especially people with families, with children. They’ll have places to live. I mean, that’s so important. We need this.”
