9% Housing Tax Credit Awarded to The Brownsville Housing Opportunity Corporation
Brownsville, TX, July 23, 2021– The Brownsville Housing Opportunity Corporation (BHOC), an instrumentality of the Housing Authority of the City of Brownsville (HACB) was awarded $11.8 million in 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits for their El Jardin Application by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) Board on July 22, 2021. In addition, BHOC has started the process to apply for Federal and State historic tax credits that will aid in the rehabilitation of the El Jardin development.
“HACB together with BHOC are extremely proud to take the lead in this meaningful project. El Jardin has been a very important property in the Brownsville community for close to a century and it will now be transformed to play a vital role as affordable housing for families who are most in need.”, said HACB Chairman Luis Eduardo Garduño.
“Congratulations to the HACB and BHOC teams for this truly remarkable achievement. Not only will this award help preserve a critical piece of Brownsville’s history and create more affordable housing, it is a direct investment in the well-being of HACB’s families and the future of our children. My heartfelt thanks to everyone that helped make this possible.”, said BHOC President Patricio Sampayo.
El Jardin, under the ownership of the BHOC since November 2019, will be HACB’s 23rd property. It was built in 1927 and, at its prime, El Jardin was the premier hotel in South Texas and hosted notable dignitaries andcelebrities. It operated as a hotel until the early 1980s and has been vacant since with a high interest from both outside and local developers wanting to revive this asset in the Downtown Brownsville Historic District.
“On behalf of the HACB and BHOC, I would like to thank the TDHCA Board for the tax credit award to El Jardin. This award will aid in bringing new life and purpose to this historic building.”, said HACB/BHOC CEO Carla Mancha “Thank you for helping us, help our families.”
The adaptive reuse design of El Jardin will preserve the building’s historic significance while featuring a blend of modern amenities. This 68,319 sq. ft. property will be transformed into a multifamily apartment complex comprised of 44 affordable housing units, a fitness room, the 4th satellite Brownsville BiblioTech site, and a community garden with a playground and walking path. In addition, the first floor will include commercial space that will aid in the enhancement of our downtown retail options. BHOC has contracted with Rosin Preservation for historic tax credit consulting services. We anticipate receiving an estimated $7 million in historic tax credits. The total project investment is approximately $18.5 million. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2022 with an estimated completion date of December 2023.
“HACB’s success to preserve and expand affordable housing is remarkable, but what makes El Jardin a greater succuss is the revitalization it will bring to Brownsville’s downtown area. This historic site will promote economic development bringing back the life it had when the hotel was operational. My sincere congratulations to HACB an BHOC.”, said HUD San Antonio Field Office Director Zuleika Morales.
“This building has been critical to the development of our downtown core. To see it coming back to life parallels Brownsville’s revival as well. I am truly excited to see this plan come to fruition and cannot wait to see the final product in the near future.”, said Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez.
This monumental achievement was made possible due to the visionary leadership of our BHOC Board of Directors (President Patricio Sampayo, Vice-President Luis Eduardo Garduño, Director John Cowen Jr., Employee Director Miguel Herrera, and Employee Director Carla Mancha) and HACB Board of Commissioners (Chairman Luis Eduardo Garduño, Vice Chairman Jesse A. Miller, Commissioner Michael Seifert, Commissioner Ruben Herrera, and Resident Commissioner Laura Villarreal).
ABOUT HACB
The Housing Authority of the City of Brownsville is a HUD Choice Neighborhood Planning, Connect Home Nation, and EnVision Center Designee. HACB is focused on three core goals: Housing, People, and Neighborhoods and is committed to support local driven strategies to address the needs of the families which it serves and develop from a holistic perspective.
The Housing Authority of the City of Brownsville is a High Performing Housing Authority for both the Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing program. HACB serves over 3,800 low-income families in our community and is the largest PHA south of San Antonio, Texas. HACB has authority to administer 2,687 Housing Choice Vouchers, operates and manages four Public Housing developments, six RAD properties and is the General Partner to ten tax credit developments, with an 11th tax credit development opening in November 2021. It is the mission of the HACB to provide access to affordable, quality housing, and achieve self-sufficiency througheducation and collaborative partnerships, for all residents of our community.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Carla Y. Mancha at (956) 214-1530 or email at cmancha@hacb.us.
