Durham’s Hope VI housing project has all the earmarks of another Bull City boondoggle. A story in The Herald-Sun this morning makes the project sound like the Incrdible Shrinking Housing Project.
The increase in construction prices — a worldwide problem often traced to rising demand for raw materials driven by the growth of the Chinese economy — appears likely to force DHA to scale back the project’s homeownership component, Gerald said. The effects of that won’t be apparent on the Few Gardens site, but they will mean fewer units for other parts of North-East Central Durham.
While the story describes the project as “back on track,” the warning signs, reminiscent of many other Durham boondoggles, are all there.
The Hope VI plan called for 275 rental units and 140 owner-occupied units. The finished project will include the full complement of rental units, and despite any cuts in the ownership component, still have at least 100 owner-occupied units, Gerald said.
And:
The construction cutback is necessary because the cost for replacing streets and pipes at Few Gardens is likely to cost about $6.5 million more than originally expected.
Plus:
The housing authority has also had trouble procuring money for owner-occupied housing off the Few Gardens site.
Doesn’t all this sound familiar. Can anyone say rathole?
