ONE Neighborhood Builders to preserve Cumberland church, add affordable housing

Photo: The Steeple & Stone development, depicted in the architectural rendering above, represents the adaptive reuse of the historic St. Patrick Church in Cumberland. This transformative initiative will offer 44 affordable apartments, including several dedicated to older adults.

ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB), the state’s leading community development corporation and one of the state’s most active developers of affordable housing, has completed the purchase of the historic St. Patrick Church in Cumberland. ONE|NB plans to preserve the historic structure and convert it into 44 affordable apartments.

Located along a vibrant stretch of residential and commercial development with robust access to public transportation, the Steeple & Stone development will include 27 one-bedroom, 12 two-bedroom, and 5 three-bedroom units. Several units will be reserved for older adults to be supported by services provided by PACE-RI. Upon completion, these apartments will be available for households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income (approximately $53,000/year for a family of four).

“The Steeple & Stone development will preserve an historic property that has been a community pillar for generations. Turning St. Patrick Church into housing ensures that its connection to the community will continue for future generations,” said Jennifer Hawkins, President and CEO of ONE|NB. “Our team will work aggressively to secure the necessary funding to accelerate development as quickly as possible. Projects like this are needed across Rhode Island to meet the growing need for safe, affordable, and accessible housing.”

Steeple & Stone is currently in pre-development. ONE|NB plans to submit applications to Rhode Island Housing and other partners in the near future to secure the necessary capital for construction, including low-income housing tax credits. ONE|NB secured the purchase of St. Patrick Church using a grant from Rhode Island Housing’s Site Acquisition Program as well as an acquisition loan from Providence Revolving Fund.

“We congratulate ONE|NB on this important and necessary project milestone. We look forward to collaborating with ONE|NB by supporting our participants through personal care and innovative technology in these charming units,” said Joan Kwiatkowski, CEO of PACE-RI. The PACE Organization of Rhode Island provides medical and social support to frail elders who wish to remain living in their community.

“We’re grateful to continue collaboration with ONE|NB on the redevelopment of St. Patrick Church for their Steeple & Stone housing initiative,” said Cumberland Mayor, Jeff Mutter. This project preserves the church structure, which holds cherished memories for generations of Cumberland residents, and also provides much-needed affordable housing in our community. Their innovative partnership with PACE-RI also preserves several units for our seniors in order to enhance their quality of life and provide them with an opportunity to retain independent living.”

The redevelopment of St. Patrick Church is part of a broader focus on housing in the Blackstone Valley that ONE|NB is leading. The Broad Street Homes project in Central Falls – less than 1.5 miles from Steeple & Stone – will break ground early next year and provide 44 new apartments for low-income individuals and households.

ONE|NB has plans to develop more than 350 new apartments over the next five years in communities across Rhode Island. A recent report commissioned by the Rhode Island Foundation and Partnership for Rhode Island cited the lack of housing construction as a driving force behind Rhode Island’s housing crisis. The report estimated that Rhode Island would need to construct or designate 24,000 affordable units to close the gap in affordable housing.

ABOUT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD BUILDERS:

ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB) is a nonprofit community development leader in Rhode Island that is expanding its work to the broader Greater Providence area while maintaining its deep roots in its historic home of Olneyville. ONE|NB’s mission is to develop affordable housing and engage neighbors to cultivate healthy, vibrant, and safe communities. Since its founding in 1988, then as Olneyville Housing Corporation, ONE|NB has developed 466 affordable apartments; 130 for-sale homes for low- to moderate-income homebuyers; and nearly 35,000 square feet of commercial and community space—totaling more than $135 million of investments. ONE|NB is the convening entity of Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone, which brings together residents, more than five dozen community-based organizations, health professionals, local businesses, elected officials, and others to address root causes of health disparities and to improve neighborhood conditions. As the convener, ONE|NB is the backbone organization of this collective-impact initiative to increase economic mobility for residents in Central Providence. ONE|NB also created the first free community wireless network in Rhode Island, providing high-speed broadband to nearly 3000 unique users in the Olneyville neighborhood.