Washington Courtyards
Houston, Texas

In 1996, Avenue Community Development Corporation (Avenue CDC) conducted a door-to-door survey of residents of the Washington Avenue area to identify community needs. The study identified affordable rental housing as a critical need, so Avenue CDC began searching for an appropriate site within the community to develop an affordable housing rental complex. In December 1997, Avenue CDC entered into a contract to purchase a 2.76-acre site located at 2505 Washington Avenue, approached the City to seek assistance in obtaining environmental assessment of the property, and were refered to the Brownfields Redevelopment Program. Upon acceptance of the site into the Brownfields Redevelopment Program, Program staff arranged to have a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment and subsequently a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment. Low levels of contamination were present in the soil and groundwater but required no cleanup because the amount of each constituent was below the Texas Voluntary Cleanup Program's action levels for residential reuse of the land. On September 29, 1998, the State issued a Certificate of Completion for the site.

In October 2000, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in celebration of the redevelopment of this former brownfield that was spearheaded by Avenue Community Development Corporation and Texas Interfaith Housing Corporation. The site now bosts 74 units of mixed income housing known as "Washington Courtyards". At a new onsite community room, job training and GED classes may soon be available to area residents.

Development of this site was accomplished through alliances and partnerships between private, public, and community agencies that include Adams Architects, Inc., Avenue Community Development Corporation, City of Houston Brownfields Redevelopment Program which was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Community Design Assistance, Inc., ERM-Southwest, Inc., Hettig Construction Corp., Land Redevelopment Committee, MECA, Goodwill Industries of Houston, Southwest Bank of Texas, Boston Capital, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission's Voluntary Clean-up Program.

Washington Courtyards has become a reality in the exciting new plan for the overall redevelopment of the Washington Avenue Corridor. This redevelopment is expected to result in further revitalization of surrounding neighborhoods. Washington Courtyards has replaced a former brownfield with attractive, much-needed, mixed-income housing. It is the first new multi-housing development in the area to serve working families; and has created 4 new jobs for the community.