Boulder Housing Partners and the city of Boulder have broken ground on a 120-unit permanently affordable housing community – the most significant development of its kind in the city’s history.
BHP is the master developer of the project, called 30Pearl. It will be located on 4.6 acres at 2630 30th St. in Boulder Junction, a 160-acre mixed-use, transit- and pedestrian-oriented neighborhood.
“This is a tremendous collaboration between the city of Boulder and BHP to achieve outcomes long identified for this parcel of land,” said Jeremy Durham, BHP executive director. “Because of the size and depth of affordability this project brings, it will bring nearly $1.3 million in annual rent burden relief to Boulder’s low-income households, which we believe is more than any other development in Boulder’s history.”
“The city of Boulder purchased this land years ago with the long-term goal of building affordable housing,” said Kurt Firnhaber, director of housing and human services. “Owning the land and contributing it to this partnership has allowed us the control the outcomes, decrease the cost of this development while providing the highest percent of permanently affordable housing of any prior developments in the city.”
The community will include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments affordable to households making 30 to 60% of area median income, or $30,690 to $61,380 for a family of three. Included in the mix are 10 units of permanent supportive housing and 20 units in an independent living community for households with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Apartments at 30Pearl will range in size from 471 to 1,151 square feet. Monthly rents are estimated at between $995 for an efficiency apartment to $1,772 for a three-bedroom unit.
Buildings will have 122 kilowatts of solar energy capacity, exceeding the city’s energy code, along with community rooms, play areas and rooftop decks. Each apartment will have air conditioning, storage, a pantry and Energy Star appliances.
The site is next to a planned city park, regional and local bus transportation services, and bike and multimodal paths. It also is within walking distance to grocery stores, Target, a YMCA recreation center and local services.
Residents will be provided with Regional Transportation District EcoPasses, car share passes and bike share passes as part of BHP’s participation in the Boulder Junction Transportation Demand Management program. Low-cost retail space in the 4South building will house Ramble On, a nonprofit organization that provides vocational training for individuals with disabilities. In addition, four local artists selected through a call for offers process will integrate their work into the community.
Coburn Development designed 30Pearl. Milender White Construction Co. is the general contractor for the project, expected to take approximately 20 months to complete.
As the city’s housing authority, Boulder Housing Partners has developed, constructed and operated numerous affordable housing communities in Boulder. It worked with the city in a similar role on the 49-unit Holiday Neighborhood, an award-winning community in North Boulder.
