With Mod-set Complete, the Family Expansion Project Steps Closer to Welcoming Residents Home
(MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA) Last week, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) achieved a major construction milestone in its nation-leading Family Housing Expansion Project (FHEP), setting the final of the 126 Minnesota-made modules that comprise the 16-building project. Modular construction allows for work at multiple sites simultaneously, so while the last site began joining the modules together, earlier sites are in the final stages of completion.
Building 84 new, deeply affordable family homes in 16 “missing middle” apartment buildings across Minneapolis, FHEP is MPHA’s largest new construction project in more than two decades. The project includes 26 two-bedroom and 58 three-bedroom homes assembled in small buildings containing four or six units. All units will be available to households at or below 30% of the area median income (AMI) and include 16 units accessible to residents with disabilities, as well as 17 units for high-priority homeless households with services funded through Hennepin County’s Coordinated Entry program. Most sites are located near transit, green space and trail systems and include access to employment opportunities, schools and commercial areas. The agency projects the development to serve as many as 420 low-income families over the next 30 years.
“We are excited to reach this important milestone in this first-of-its-kind project,” said Abdi Warsame, Executive Director/CEO of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “In partnership with RISE Modular and Frerichs Construction, MPHA is moving quickly and efficiently to deliver 84 new, desperately needed, deeply affordable family homes to Minneapolis. We are thrilled with how the project has progressed and are focused on welcoming our first families home in September.”
Projected to be completed within 13 months after its financial closing, FHEP includes several innovations that make it different from a typical housing development. Building 84 units on 16 sites is a highly unusual approach that provides families with housing options they can afford in many different neighborhoods. Using a modular construction approach has resulted in less noise and fewer neighborhood disruptions at each site while delivering the project 30 percent faster than would have been possible with a conventional construction approach.
“Urban infill developments in well-established residential neighborhoods always offer special challenges,” said Christian Lawrence, founder and CEO of RISE Modular. “Utilizing volumetric modular, our crews erected entire buildings on each site within a couple of days, making it a much more pleasant experience for the neighbors and a faster delivery for MPHA and its families. The economies of scale modular provides means real cost savings with superior quality, which is important to a long-term owner like the MPHA.”
A volumetric modular delivery allows for concurrent onsite and offsite construction activities. Frerichs Construction has all the construction trades working at once on various stages of construction, with 150 tradespeople spread throughout the city. While some MPHA sites recently completed mod-set, others are on the final punch list and receiving certificates of occupancy while waiting to welcome families home. This unique process allows MPHA to house residents much sooner than a traditionally built project. Family move-ins are estimated to begin in September, with the final units estimated to be ready to welcome new families in December.
“MPHA has proven affordable housing delivered through a scattered-site model works. This type of housing in established residential neighborhoods provides a solid foundation for upward mobility,” said Brian Schaffer, assistant director of real estate development for MPHA. “With the support of our public and private funding partners, the MPHA team has taken full advantage of the rezoning opportunities provided by the City of Minneapolis’ 2040 plan and the innovations at RISE Modular to create a blueprint for how housing authorities across our state and country can deliver quality, cost-effective deeply affordable family housing to address our nation’s affordable housing shortage.”
MPHA is the developer, owner and property manager of the Family Housing Expansion Project. The project team includes architect DJR, general contractor Frerichs Construction, modular manufacturer RISE Modular and modular installer ProSet.
For interviews with RISE team members, please contact Ella Carlsson, Red Mood Marketing, 612.805.0572, ella@redmoodmktg.com. For interviews with MPHA team members, please contact Drew Halunen, MPHA, 612.463.0707, dhalunen@mplspha.org
News release and video are also located at: https://mphaonline.org/news/minneapolis-public-housing-authority-hits-major-milestone-in-84-unit-family-housing-project/
Renderings by DJR
Video produced by Red Mood Marketing, Filmed and Edited by Superbird Studios, and Aerials provided by Sky Candy Studios.