Dec 22 2015
So Others Might Eat (SOME) has started construction on The Conway Center at 4430 Benning Road, N.E. The Center will feature affordable housing, an expanded SOME Center for Employment Training, and a Medical and Dental Health Center operated by Unity Health Care. Construction of the mixed-use, LEED-certified building will take 24 months.
General contractor Bozzuto has begun digging three stories underground for the parking lot, sheeting and shoring. In March 2016, Bozzuto will begin pouring concrete for the seven-story structure. Topping off is scheduled for November 2016 and substantial completion is slated for November 2017.
Once complete, The Conway Center will provide:
- 202 units of affordable housing for families and single adults
- Job training for 300 students per year at SOME’s Center for Employment Training
- Health care for 15,000 patients annually, provided by Unity Health Care
“These are things that we need for our community to build a stronger community,” said Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander. “We know that when people walk in these doors, they will walk out a different person. We know that we have low-income persons, that, if given the opportunity, they will be productive residents, just like everyone wants to be. So I welcome this and I’m excited.”
The $90 million development deal for The Conway Center closed on October 30, 2015 and leverages approximately $70 million in approved public funding, tax credits, tax exempt bonds and low-interest loans. SOME is raising the additional $20 million needed to complete the facility.