Housing Vermont and Champlain Housing Trust Celebrate Opening of Blake Commons
About 40 area residents, local officials, funders, and others joined Housing Vermont and the Champlain Housing Trust on June 23 to celebrate the opening of Blake Commons, a 16-unit affordable rental complex in Swanton. The mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments utilize solar hot water, a highly efficient gas-fired common boiler system and cost effective construction techniques to create inviting homes that will perform 40% better than homes built to the standard energy code. Blake Commons also takes advantage of durable products such as fiber cement siding and bamboo and tile floors to minimize operating costs.
“Blake Commons creates 16 sorely needed affordable apartments which will benefit current and future generations,” said Kathy Beyer, Housing Vermont’s VP for Development. “But it is also essential to remember that it provided a strong economic benefit to the general community. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the construction of Blake Commons created 20 jobs and will sustain five local jobs year after year,” Kathy noted.
Blake Commons, designed by Gossen Bachman and constructed by Wright & Morrissey, had a total development cost of $3.1 million and was financed by eight different sources including two federal stimulus programs and equity provided by the Merchants Bank. The property is managed by the Champlain Housing Trust.