Austinburg Neighborhood in Covington Goes Modular

On Tuesday, the Covington City Commission is expected to vote to loan $350,000 to the Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington $350,000 to build two model homes on a lot at 510 Thomas Street. The houses will be used to market six others the agency plans to build on the property. Dan Petronio, associate director for the Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington believes the homes will sell for about $160,000 each. The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington has done a lot of redevelopment projects across the city as part of its mission. However, this will be its first new construction project.

The homes are designed, engineered and constructed off-site in a factory out of the harmful effects of the weather, and then assembled on site in a process that takes about one day. Petronio said. Phoenix Building Solutions of Brookville, Ohio, is building the homes. As an Energy Star partner, Phoenix Building Solutions will construct each home to meet or exceed the rigorous Energy Star construction standards. In addition, the new homes will have many attractive standard features including 9-foot first floor ceilings, hardwood kitchen cabinetry and ceramic tile bathrooms. Buyers can choose either a two-story model or a three-story model and can select interior amenities to their specific tastes. The structures will be in row-house style with porches on the front of the house and parking in the rear, similar to housing stock already in the neighborhood. Each home will have about 1,600 square feet and be constructed on lots 20 or 25 feet wide by 100 feet deep. Officials say the model homes could be built as soon as September.

The City of Covington has made more than $300,000 worth of infrastructure improvements to prepare for the new homes, including new sidewalks and landscaping, and repaved streets. "I grew up in the Austinburg neighborhood and at the time it was a really nice place for middle-class people," said Mayor Butch Callery said.

In addition to the 8 homes in the 500 block of Thomas Street, the Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington also hopes to build three homes on property it is currently trying to acquire in the 1600 block of Thomas Street, bringing the total number of new homes to 11.

The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington is a nonprofit that promotes civic engagement in Covington. For over 25 years, the Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington, formerly Covington Community Center, has been dedicated to helping people improve their lives by improving the quality of urban neighborhoods. Strong neighborhoods provide stability, social supports and a web of vital resources that allow families and individuals to thrive. www.greatneighborhoods.org