‘A blueprint’: Northside school turned into affordable housing as leaders push to close housing gap

City officials broke ground on Village at Lake Forest, a new affordable housing project at a closed school site, aiming to address Jacksonville’s housing shortage.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — City leaders, Ability Housing and the Duval County Public Schools broke ground Wednesday on a new affordable housing development planned for the former Lake Forest Elementary School site on Jacksonville’s Northside.

The project, called Village at Lake Forest, will bring 120 apartment units to 901 Kennard Street, a property that has sat vacant since the school closed in 2019.

Mayor Donna Deegan said the project addresses what she calls one of the city’s biggest challenges.

“We’re about 50,000 units short of what we really need,” Deegan said. “We’ve added about 7,000 so far since I’ve been in office.”

City officials said the development is designed for working families, educators and others who want to remain in their communities.

“This gives them an opportunity to stay in the community in which they live,” Deegan said.

Most of the apartments will be available to households earning up to 60% of the Area Median Income, with a smaller number of units available to households earning up to 80%.

Developers said rent will vary depending on income, but they provided a general estimate of what families can expect.

“For a standard two-bedroom unit, we’re talking about anywhere… between $900 to $1,500 based on your income,” said Ability Housing CEO Reggie Fullwood.

Fullwood said the goal is to make housing more accessible for workers who may not qualify for low-income housing but still struggle with rising costs.

“The standard rule is no more than one-third of your monthly income should go toward housing,” Fullwood said.

A key feature of the development is that 25% of the units will be reserved for Duval County Public Schools employees, including teachers and other staff.

District leaders said that the added housing option could help with staffing efforts.

“It just gives us one more way to recruit and retain teachers by providing them with affordable housing,” said Duval County Public Schools Chief Operations Officer Jim Culbert.

The project will also include an early learning center designed to serve children living in the development and the surrounding community.

“This is going to be like a daycare and a pre-K kind of center,” Culbert said. “This will allow the students to get ready so they as they enter kindergarten.”

City leaders said the development could also serve as a model for future projects, especially as more school buildings close.

“I think this is a blueprint we can take from here and move forward with,” Deegan said.

Construction is expected to take about 18 months. Officials estimate tenants could begin moving in after construction is complete, with leasing details expected to be released closer to opening.