Community members and local elected leaders gathered Wednesday to officially celebrate the opening of Burlington Post II.
The affordable housing community, at 3295 Burlington Ave N. in St. Petersburg, was designed to serve seniors with incomes ranging from 22% to 80% of Area Median Income. The five story building consists of 75 units.
For Green Mills Group founders Oscar Sol and Mitch Rosenstein, the project has been long in the making. The Fort Lauderdale-based company develops affordable and workforce residential communities.
Construction commenced on Burlington Post II approximately two years ago. Residents began to move in about a month ago.
“We signed the ground lease on this property 11 years ago,” Sol explained to the Catalyst. “It was an old post office parking lot. That’s what was here. It just takes a lot of time to get funding approved. The resources for affordable housing development are very, very competitive.”
The adjacent Burlington Post I began to welcome residents in 2018.
“Eventually, the city and county stepped up with some of their own funding,” he continued. “We were able to do a different financing package basically that didn’t rely on competitive funding allocation from the state. We were basically able to do it with local dollars and low-income housing tax credits.”
The City of St. Petersburg contributed approximately $5.8 million to the project. Pinellas County provided $3.75 million. Additionally, the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County issued $16 million of tax-exempt housing revenue bonds, among other funding providers.
The exterior of the Burlington Post II building.
Building Burlington Post II was a complicated endeavor.
“It was a rather tight sight,” Rosenstein explained. “So, we had to work closely with the City to make sure that it was actually developable and feasible to build from a construction and development perspective. Laying all of the various financing sources was a major challenge and it created legal complexities and underwriting complexities.”
Sol said that Burlington Post II features a fitness center, community outdoor space, a game room and 24/7 security, among other amenities.
“This is our third community in St. Pete,” Rosenstein added. “This is our fifth in the region and we’re not done. We’re hoping to build more.”
St. Petersburg City Council chair Lisset Hanewicz emphasized the impact of the project at the gathering. She explained that it has become “much more difficult” for many older adults in the bay area and in the country to find a “safe and affordable place to call home.”
“Developments like this matter to our community,” Hanewicz said. “It’s an opportunity for seniors to live with dignity and stay connected with their community and enjoy the quality of life that they’ve earned.”
“To move into a place where you don’t have to worry about making a choice between medications and food and your rent is awesome,” Pinellas County Commissioner René Flowers added. “And that’s what this project does.”
Burlington Post II resident Robyn Bryan also spoke at the grand opening ceremony.
“I’m so grateful for the affordable housing because it just came at the perfect time,” she said. “I get to stay in the community. I’m very happy about that.”