Autumn Place Nestled between McClelland-Hollywood; Willow Creek Going Up Behind Earl K. Long Hospital

             April 20, 2012—Baton Rouge, La.—A groundbreaking ceremony celebrating two new townhome developments in North Baton Rouge was held Thursday, April 12^th, on the site of the 42-unit Autumn Place which is situated between the 5600 blocks of McClelland and Hollywood Streets.

            Construction of Autumn Place and Willow Creek, also a 42-unit townhome development to be built at the former site of Hospital Plaza Apartments on Quida Mae Drive, are both scheduled for completion December 2012.  Willow Creek is located behind Earl K. Long Hospital.

            “These townhome communities are in highly developed urban areas,” said Richard Murray, chief executive officer of the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority (EBRPHA), “which means convenient access to interstate and highway travel, as well as shopping centers, schools, churches and bus routes,” he added.  “The sites will be landscaped with indigenous Louisiana plants and include a community center, playgrounds and walking paths in an effort to create safe, close-knit communities.”

            The Autumn Place development is located on a pie-shaped wedge of 4.550 acres on the site of the former Colonial Courts Apartments.  Both apartment complexes were demolished in January 2012.  Willow Creek is on a 4.555-acre site. 

            The two, three and four bedroom townhomes have an open floor plan with a laundry area and first floor half baths.  At least 20 percent of the construction materials will be manufactured locally and 25 percent will contain recycled content. 

             The townhomes are being developed by National Development of America—Centerpointe Regional Housing Development of Baton Rouge 1.LLC, under the auspices of Partners for Progress, Incorporated, (PFP), the affordable housing development group under the Housing Authority. 

            The East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority was awarded a $750,000.00 low income housing tax credit allocation for each project, distributed through the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency (LHFA).  Funding was made available for the projects by The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, Capital One Bank, Hudson Housing Capital, the East Baton Rouge Parish Redevelopment Authority, and the Affordable Housing Program. 

            Construction is by National Development Builders, Incorporated, (NDB) and the townhome communities will be managed by a local office of NDC Real Estate Management.  Watts Didier & Associates, AIA, and SJB Engineering designed the townhomes.

            For more information, contact Morise Duffin, chief operating officer of Partners for Progress, Inc., at 923-8100, ext. 2005.

From left to right:  Mark Goodson, EBR Redevelopment Authority; Pastor Guevara Johnson, Interdenominational Faith Assembly; Brenda Evans, Louisiana Housing Finance Agency; Ronnie Edwards, Councilwoman, District 5; Tonia Dunn, Member, EBRP Housing Authority; Dr. Barbara Carpenter, Chair, EBRP Housing Authority; Richard L. Murray, CEO, EBRP  Housing Authority; Morise Duffin, COO, Partners for Progress, Inc.; Dr. Ernie Hughes, Chair, Partners for Progress, Inc.; Cheryl Williams, HUD; Rick Miller, National Development of America, Inc.; William Callihan, Capital One Bank

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 11, 2011) – National Development of America, a Fort Myers-based development firm, has been awarded $19 million in contracts for two affordable-housing neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, La. The firm will arrange financing with partial funding with tax credits issued by Louisiana Housing Finance Agency and other sources. National Development Builders will serve as general contractor, and NDC Real Estate Management will lease the 42 townhomes in each neighborhood and manage the properties.

            “These two neighborhoods are key components in East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority’s effort to revitalize an area north of the city,” said Rick Miller, president of National Development of America. “It’s exciting, gratifying work to replace 50-year-old substandard housing with new rental units built with green initiatives and neighborhood amenities.

            “Through our construction and property management arms, National Development is able to take the project from planning and financing through long-term management, making the process seamless for the housing authority and tenants,” said Miller.

The two neighborhoods will include two-, three- and four bedroom homes, each with 1,300 square feet of living space and features including increased insulation, energy-efficient windows and ultra-low-flow plumbing fixtures. These features make home maintenance more affordable for residents and lessen impact on the environment.

            Permitting and financing is under way. Construction is expected to begin on both neighborhoods at the same time this fall and is scheduled to take a year. Willow Creek will replace the abandoned Hospital Plaza, and Autumn Place will be built on the site of Colonial Court. The neighborhoods will include front and back yards, playgrounds, walking paths and amenities not provided by the existing apartment-style projects.

Willow Creek and Autumn Place are the sixth and seventh affordable housing neighborhoods developed by National Development in the Baton Rouge area in the past eight years. The construction volume totals more than $60 million.

National Development Builders, under the leadership of Principal Michael Jacob, has coordinated and overseen the construction projects in Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and New York. The company provides general contracting services for National Development of America and third-party clients. In the Southwest Florida market, the company has built more than a dozen professional and Class A office buildings including the UBS Financial Services building, the Royal Palm Corporate Center and the corporate headquarters of Wiltshire, Whitley, Richardson and English, P.A.

            To learn more about National Development of America, the design-build capabilities of National Development Builders, or leasing and management programs by NDC Real Estate Management, call 239-275-8029 or log onto www.national-development.com.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 11, 2011) – National Development of America, a commercial development company established in Southwest Florida in 1984, has relocated its headquarters to 12791 World Plaza Lane, Building 89, off College Parkway in Fort Myers. The phone number remains 239-275-8029.

Since 1990, the firm’s headquarters was in Royal Palm Corporate Center, the three-story, 43,000-square-foot building National Development built at the corner of Summerlin Road and Royal Palm Square Boulevard.

National Development of America has developed more than a dozen medical, professional and Class A office buildings in Southwest Florida including the 14,000-square-foot UBS Financial Services building in Reflection Lakes Commercial Park and the corporate headquarters of CPA firm Wiltshire, Whitley, Richardson and English. Its subsidiary, National Development Builders, has coordinated and overseen construction projects in Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and New York, and its affordable housing division has developed and manages thousands of units in Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, South Carolina and Louisiana. To learn more, log onto www.national-development.com.

BATON ROUGE, La. (Jan. 4, 2010) – National Development Builders completed construction of the Oakwood Terrace subdivision in Baton Rouge, and the neighborhood is 100 percent occupied.

The 60-home subdivision, developed by National Development of America, provides affordable, rental housing to low- and very low-income households. This is the fifth development built by the company in the Baton Rouge area in the past four years with a total volume of more than $25 million.

“We were very happy to handle this project, which not only allowed us to provide work for area construction firms, but also improves the quality of life for the residents of the new homes,” said Rick Miller, president of National Development of America.

The 60 homes were completed in less than 18 months.

National Development Builders, under the leadership of Principal Michael Jacob, has coordinated and overseen the construction of a variety of projects in Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and New York. The company provides general contracting services for National Development of America and third-party clients.

To learn more about National Development Builders’ design build capabilities call (239) 791-8529 or log onto www.national-development.com. For leasing information on Oakwood Terrace contact NDC Real Estate Management at (225) 448-2641.

Oakwood Terrace Subdivision

National Development is pleased to announce that it has closed on its financing with Capital One Bank and Hudson Housing Capital and has begun construction of its 60-home Oakwood Terrace Subdivision in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Adjacent to Oakwood is National’s 80-home Cedar Pointe Subdivision that was completed in March, 2009 and was fully leased by May, 2009.  Both subdivisions offer affordable, rental housing to low- and very low-income households.  Amenities at each subdivision include a community center, business center with computers, high-speed internet access, and playground facilities.  This is National’s fifth successful development in the Baton Rouge area.

For leasing information on Oakwood Terrace and Cedar Pointe, please contact NDC Real Estate Management, Inc. at (225) 448-2641.