Merchants Capital has secured a $15.5 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development loan for Lakeshore Manor in East Chicago, Indiana. Located on the corner of 136th and Main Street on the northwest side of the city, the new development will bring 206 units of income- and age-restricted housing to the area.
Originally designed to replace the now-closed John B. Nicosia senior building, Lakeshore Manor will be entirely new construction, consisting of two four-story buildings that comply with National Green Building Standards. The 221(d)(4) new-construction deal will allow the property to feature 206 one- and two-bedroom apartment units reserved for seniors 62 years of age and older and/or disabled residents, with rent restricted at 60% of the area median income.
Merchants Capital secured $15.5 million in HUD financing to support development of the project, along with a $13.5 million equity bridge loan through its parent company Merchants Bank of Indiana. Cinnaire, the property’s equity investor, provided a $21.7 million LIHTC investment in the project for a total development cost of $51 million.
Upon completion of construction, all units at Lakeshore Manor will feature electric ranges, refrigerators, laminate countertops, ceiling fans, window treatments, central air conditioning and walk-in closets. As a senior housing complex, the development will be subject to Section 100-2 Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Minimum Property Standards and thus will include automatic temperature limit controls in the shower, electrical outlets for night lights between the bed and bathroom, handrails on at least one side of all interior corridors and an emergency call system in each unit.
Additionally, 12 of the 206 total units at Lakeshore Manor will be designed as fully accessible, hearing-impaired units and will comply with the American with Disabilities Act and Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) requirements.
The property’s location in East Chicago makes it part of the city’s ongoing North Harbor Redevelopment Area project, an effort to improve public spaces including streets, playing fields, playground equipment and concert stages at Nunez and Callahan parks. With these proposed upgrades, and the new Lakeshore Manor housing development, the city hopes to provide major economic contributions that will support the long-term sustainability of the area.
The new property is expected to debut in February 2024.
