Red ribbon cut for green senior apartment complex

Mayor Max Bacon and Melleny Pritchett, Ward 1 city council member, celebrated green building and affordable housing for seniors at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Galleria Manor of Smyrna senior living apartment complex on Friday.

“Every community would love to have this in their community,” Bacon said. “Not only is it good for our community, but it’s good for those folks. Not every house in Smyrna can be a $500,000 or $600,000 home.”

Galleria Manor of Smyrna is a rent- and income-restricted affordable housing complex for adults over the age of 55 with a yearly income between $23,000 and $36,900. The rent for the one- and two-bedroom units ranges from between $566 and $784 a month.

Pritchett explained that the new complex will prove beneficial to Smyrna’s aging population.

“This project meets a very real need in our community,” she said. “A need that I personally feel is not only local, but a national issue. And that’s the issue of senior housing.”

The Paces Foundation, a not-for-profit community housing development corporation, built the 88-unit complex to green, sustainable standards. It is the first LEED for homes mid-rise project in the city and is seeking LEED Gold certification. 

“Paces Foundation is a regional leader in building green sustainable, affordable housing,” said Mark du Mas, The Paces Foundation president. “This standard helps low-income seniors greatly by reducing their utility bills. This means that they don’t have to live with just one light bulb burning. Many of them do. Or turning off their water heater to conserve energy. They can live in relatively carefree comfort in these super energy efficient units.”

The complex features energy efficient mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems, efficient framing and drought-resistant plants. As part of the sustainable construction, 75 percent of the construction debris was recycled and diverted from landfills. Local subcontractors, vendors and suppliers were employed for 75 percent of the project generating about $5.3 million in revenue for metro Atlanta businesses.

The project was funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The city of Smyrna contributed more than $250,000 in funds, waivers, fees and services for the project. Also, the Smyrna and Cobb housing authorities made contributions for operating expenses for the complex’s first 10 years.

The city also granted a waiver on its 16-year-old moratorium on apartment complexes to allow The Paces Foundation to build Galleria Manor of Smyrna apartment complex, which is located at 2731 Woodland Terrace off Spring Road.