By John Finotti, Tucker/Hall – The Jacksonville Housing Authority (JHA) has closed on financing for the renovation of the Centennial Towers senior living community in Jacksonville’s Springfield neighborhood. Financing is being provided by Raymond James and Bank of America. Work will include unit and system upgrades to plumbing, electrical, and A/C systems, and new appliances in each unit.
“We are excited to be able to move forward with our upgrades and renovations at Centennial Towers. This project will improve the quality of life for residents, renovating important amenities and providing many more years of decent, safe housing for Jacksonville’s senior citizens,” said Dwayne Alexander, JHA’s interim President and CEO.
The 14-story Centennial Towers building, located at 230 East 1st Street, contains 208 units for senior residents. JHA will partner with The Vestcor Companies, a Jacksonville-based affordable housing builder with a wide portfolio of senior communities, to rehabilitate the property at a projected cost of $14.5 million.
Construction will last for 14 months, with the project projected to wrap up in January 2022. Throughout the project, residents will be moved out three floors at a time as the renovations progress. JHA will cover all expenses to relocate them to other JHA properties or extended-stay hotels for the duration of work in their units, which should take approximately 60 days.
Attached photo: Dwayne Alexander, interim president and CEO of Jacksonville Housing Authority, stands in front of Centennial Towers, a high-rise senior community in Springfield that will undergo renovations over the next 14 months.
About JHA
The Jacksonville Housing Authority (JHA)) was created in 1994 to fill the need for a more effective community service oriented public housing agency. The Board of Directors consists of seven members who are appointed by the Mayor. These seven members have a strong record of success in private sector process and work hard to build a better future for the local Jacksonville community. For more information, visit www.jaxha.org.
