LORAIN, Ohio — After years of back and forth, an affordable housing facility is finally coming to Lorain.
Thursday, city leaders, developers and community partners broke ground on Broadway Commons. The 62-unit apartment building will offer affordable housing for people who have experienced long-term homelessness, including dedicated space for veterans. The facility will also include wrap-around services for mental health, counseling, job training and life skills.
“Being able to get them into a unit and surround them with services is really such an important factor in really kind of turning their lives around,” said Elaine Gimmel, the executive director at EDEN, Inc.
The organization has been working with CHN Housing Partners and the City of Lorain for several years to make the project a reality.
News 5 first reported the proposed housing initiative in 2023, when some neighbors and several city leaders pushed back against the idea of supportive housing along the Broadway corridor in Central Lorain.
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At that time, a nearby business had also raised concerns that the project would attract trouble and pose safety risks.
The owner said he’d consider moving his business if the project moved forward.
“If it disrupts our business, absolutely,” said Fligner’s Market owner Kel Fligner to News 5 in June 2023.
The owner has since passed away, but the business eventually came around.
Lorain Safety Service director Rey Carrion had similar concerns about the project’s location when he served on the city council, but he later changed his mind.
“What changed for me was, for me, seeing it for myself,” Carrion told News 5 on Thursday.
As a council member, Carrion and others toured several similar facilities in Northeast Ohio.
News 5 also toured Bridge Pointe Commons in 2023 as the Lorain council members weighed whether to approve the project.
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One resident told News 5 the services he had received since living in the facility had been life-changing.
“I don’t have to rely on anyone. I’m self-sufficient,” said the man who had previously battled homelessness and addiction.
Co-developer CHN Housing Partners said it took several years of education to finally cross the finish line on the project.
President and CEO Kevin Nowak said he hopes future success at Broadway Commons will speak for itself.
“That’s going to bring that sort of energy and hope and development activity to the community,” Nowak said.
The Broadway Commons project will invest nearly $21 million in the formerly vacant corner of Broadway Avenue and W 21st Street.
The groundbreaking comes on the heels of renewed revitalization efforts at the adjacent former St. Joseph’s Hospital site, which was recently acquired by the Lorain County Land Bank.
RELATED: 'A milestone': Lorain says major step means action at former St. Joseph's Hospital site
Some city leaders said the progress is a promising investment in central Lorain.
“We’re not a dumping ground. We’re a place for resources for people to get the help that they need, to get back on their feet and have a dignified life,” said Ward 5 Lorain City Council member Sabrina Gonzalez.
CHN Housing Partners expects construction to be completed on Broadway Commons by the fall of 2027.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
