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LHC Celebrates BR Choice Neighborhood Initiative with the Unveiling of Cypress at Ardendale Phase I

December 2, 2024

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Baton Rouge, LA — The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) celebrated alongside the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority, Partners at Southeast, and other partners as they reviewed the progress of Phase I of Cypress at Ardendale, which is a part of the Baton Rouge Choice Neighborhood Initiative

Community leaders and stakeholders toured the construction of the Phase I housing complex which will include 170 mixed-income apartment units. Residents will be able to choose from multiple apartment-style homes. The Cypress at Ardendale community will grow to 434 new homes. This will be four phases of construction, thus investing $180M in the North Baton Rouge area. The community will also include a park designed by BREC, clubhouse, fitness center, and common area. 

LHC awarded $42M in Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds and $3M in Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Through the partnership with the Office of Community Development, $4.5M was awarded through the 2016 Flood Piggyback Program. In addition to the $4.5M, there was an $8 million in a direct loan from the Floods allocation. 

Cypress at Ardendale also received funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which is an investment of $32M through the Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI) grant. Once Cypress at Ardendale has completed, it will connect to surrounding neighborhoods, in addition to offering employment and educational opportunities. 

"When we invest in our communities, we invest in the people," said LHC Chief of Staff Leslie Chambers. "To have a Choice Neighborhood Initiative in Baton Rouge is a significant milestone, which will allow us to build quality affordable housing. This will also give us the chance to revitalize neglected areas. This type of housing will also play an integral part in shaping the lives of the residents by providing them with access to resources that will help them grow in life."

Louisiana Office of Community Development-Disaster Recovery Executive Director Gina Campo said, “We are proud to help fund Phase I of The Cypress at Ardendale with $12.5 million in disaster recovery money that Louisiana received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for recovery from the 2016 floods. This mixed-income community will provide all the modern amenities as well as highlight the existing wetlands to create an artistic sense of place in public spaces and pedestrian pathways. Louisiana is building back better than ever before.”

RHH Architects will design Phase I of the project while the rest of the Ardendale community will be constructed by Milton J. Womack, Inc. and Legette Construction.

Housing partners expect to start construction on Phases II, III, and IV in 2025. 

Breanne Bizette

Public Information Officer, Louisiana Housing Corporation

PublicAffairs@lhc.la.gov

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