The City of Burlington will be tackling an issue during tonight’s city council meeting that’s shaping up to be a divisive one.
Blackbird Investments, a Des Moines based company, is looking to develop 75 apartment units on the southeast corner of 4th and Valley streets downtown–the same building occupied by Mister Moto’s Cafe.
They want to call it the “Churchill Apartments” and the proposal is getting both pushback and support from members in the community.
Blackbird is looking to make the 75 units 100% low income, and are seeking tax credits from the State of Iowa to do so. Mayor Pro-Temp Becky Anderson, who owns several buildings downtown, is against that part of the deal, saying that such a large a concentration of low-income apartments could be detrimental to the downtown community.
“Seventy five units of low income [housing] in one spot.” Anderson said on the KBUR Talkshow last week, “You should really…scatter it out. And if you have a problem with a few people there, it can really contaminate the building and bring it all down.”
Anderson said she would feel differently if they would mix the building with market rate apartments as well.
In an email, Kevin Bangert, the current owner of the building, says he supports the project.
The apartments would be restricted to those making less than 80% of the Average Median Income of the area.
The council will be asked tonight whether or not to approve a resolution of support for the project. Blackbird is not asking the city for any financial incentives. The meeting starts at 5:30 at Burlington City Hall.
