Councilman Matta seeks new housing in South side
Apr. 11—He stares out at the vacant 7-acre site at the corner of Pool and Rochester streets in Odessa's South side, and envisions dozens of new single-family homes.
Since being elected as city councilman for District 1, one of Mark Matta's primary goals has been to find a way for the city to create long overdue, and new affordable housing in the neighborhood where he was born and raised.
"I'm excited about the possibilities for the South side," Matta said. "It's an integral part of the city.
"Financially, it's not as inviting to developers as the North and East sides, but the South side's numbers more than make up for it."
Since Matta took office in January, he and Assistant City Manager Phillip Urrutia have been meeting with potential developers to consider the opportunities.
If their efforts are successful, it could result in up to 44 new, single-family homes being constructed on the South side during the next couple of years. The property is already owned by the city.
The biggest challenge is finding a way so that developers can make a profit, Matta and Urrutia said during a recent interview.
It costs about $35,000 to develop a lot in Odessa, Matta explained. A developer can resell those lots for $55,000, or more in the North and East side areas of Odessa. But on the South side where incomes are generally more modest, those lots can't be sold for much more than $35,000.
Matta and Urrutia, who have been meeting with several potential developers in recent months have suggested several ideas, which includes the city "donating" the lots to the developers for free. The idea is that the city could recoup the money through property taxes, Urrutia said.
Another idea is to seek funding from the Odessa Development Corporation, which has a program that would offer developer's a $10,000 subsidy per lot, Matta said.
"There's ways to be creative and inventive," Matta said.
Although no agreements have yet been made, the interest by developers appears promising, Urrutia said.
"The interest is definitely there," said Urrutia, who said the next step is involving city planners. "It looks promising. The numbers are there, we just need developers."
City administrators believe the South side has a lot of potential for growth and development, Urrutia said. There is a vital need for more affordable housing, which would help the city recruit and retain more professionals like teachers, fire fighters and police.
Logistically, the 7 acres at Poole and Rochester is near Interstate I-20, which makes for convenient commuting, Urrutia said. There's also a great deal of undeveloped land nearby that could attract strip malls, restaurants and retail shops.
The potential makes Matta excited.
"I grew up on the South side, so I want to see this area thrive," Matta said. "Success in the South side would help the city overall.
"If we can get this project off the ground, it can be a model for other areas in the city."
