Community center property at Kinney Point receives grant for roof, HVAC upgrades
The Columbia Housing Authority is making progress toward its Kinney Point groundbreaking this summer.
A portion of the low-income housing development will be a community center in a structure at 7 E. Sexton Road already on the property.
The housing authority purchased the property from City of Refuge in the fall as that organization prepared its own move to Garth Avenue and Walnut Street. Other land at Garth Avenue and Sexton Road for the new 24-unit development was a separate purchase by the housing authority.
More: Kinney Point construction expected to start by May, says Columbia Housing Authority
The housing authority announced this week it had received an additional $50,000 grant from Veterans United Foundation, which will go toward a roof replacement and heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades for the community center space.
Some interior improvements already were done by City of Refuge before the housing authority purchased the building, said Randy Cole, housing authority CEO.
"The building is in really good shape," he said. "The roof is a little bit aged and a couple of the HVAC units could be upgraded to make them more energy efficient. We plan to make the space really nice for when we utilize it for our residents."
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The housing authority is in the middle of a bid process, so it likely will about two to three months before upgrades happen, Cole said.
Further grants will be sought for other building improvements, he added.
There already are plans on how to use the space even before Kinney Point officially breaks ground.
"It is a really nice space. There is a really big kitchen inside and a really nice open room that our resident services and Moving Ahead program staff are really excited about to do programming with families and youth," Cole said.
Moving Ahead is an after-school and summer tutoring program from the housing authority.
"We also see it as an opportunity to partner with another local nonprofit, or a few, for additional programming for youth and utilizing that space as well," Cole said.
The space also can serve as a location for Kinney Point property management and the selected construction company once the groundbreaking nears, he added.
The space potentially could be used for neighborhood and other nonprofit programming even through construction. The Oak Towers property managed by the housing authority is adjacent to the Kinney Point property.
More: Kinney Point will bring a 24-unit affordable housing complex near Garth and Sexton in Columbia
"We have a couple meetings planned even before the site is in full gear," Cole said. "We are going to start opening it up and utilizing it for some of our needs, but then also our partner's needs."
This includes the fair and inclusive housing workgroup of Boone County's Upward Mobility Action Plan. That group plans to meet in the space Feb. 14 in regard to affordable housing efforts, Cole said.
Kinney Point is supported through a separate $1.3 million grant from Veterans United Foundation, $2 million HOME-American Rescue Plan funds from the City of Columbia, $3 million in low-income housing tax credits from the Missouri Housing Development Commission and $1 in housing authority funds.
The housing authority is in the process of closing on the Garth and Sexton property in anticipation of the late May to early summer groundbreaking.
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Kinney Point community center upgrades supported through grant
