A nonprofit housing developer has announced plans for the building of nearly 100 new affordable housing units on the south side of Santa Fe.
The group Homewise says it wants to build the project, which will also include a community park and school, off South Meadows Road on a currently vacant 22-acre site.
As planned, the project would see the construction of a combination of single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums.
Up to 1.7 acres would be set aside as park space to be located between the various housing units and the planned school.
Homewise, which is based in Santa Fe, is dedicated to increasing the affordable housing stock, and specializes in homebuyer education, lending and refinancing programs.
The group is currently in the process of attempting to purchase the South Meadows site for a reported $1.8 million.
The property in question was purchased by Santa Fe County some two decades ago, before being annexed by the City of Santa Fe in 2014.
The project is not without challenges: area residents have expressed opposition, saying they want the site to remain open space.
A separate challenge could come from the property’s proximity to the former Eberline plant at 5881 Airport Road, which once owned by the Thermo Fisher Scientific corporation of Waltham, Massachusetts.
Although the Eberline plant ceased operations nearly 15 years ago, the property in question has seen some radioactive contamination.
The Homewise project is currently in the process of being submitted to the City of Santa Fe and is also expected to be the subject of at least one, if not more, public input meetings.
By Garry Boulard