F&C Top 10 Moments of 2016

Like the pancake breakfast in “Anchorman” (except we do it every year) – it’s time for our annual, year-end countdown of the Flaherty & Collins Properties Top Moments of the year! Our team enjoys this little countdown immensely, and this year is especially fun, as our recent office move has overlooking the festive downtown Indianapolis atmosphere. We hope you’ll join us on Facebook and Twitter as well, throughout the day (and late into the night), as we rock this countdown like Ryan Seacrest in Times Square.

We had a few moments just outside our countdown, but worthy nonetheless:

BONUS MOMENT: Award Winners!

We snagged 24 awards in 2016, leading off with the Capstone Award by the Kansas City Business Journal for The Best Mixed-Use Project for The Heights Linden Square in Gladstone, Missouri. We collected awards from the Apartment Association of Kansas City (AAKC), the Apartment Association of Southern Indiana (AASI), the Apartment Association of Fort Wayne (AAFW) and the Indiana Apartment Association (IAA), where we collected nine (9) awards in October.

Those included Best Floorplan (800 sq ft., 11+ years ) for Country Club, Best Floorplan (1100 sq. ft., 1-10 years ) for Millikan on Mass, Best Clubhouse (1-10 Years) for Axis, Best Company Wide Employee Relations Program for F&C, Best Overall Amenities for Flats at 146, Best Use of Technology for The Depot at Nickel Plate, Best Overall Corporate Marketing Program for F&C and Rick Stapp Regional Property Manager of the Year for Teri Hedemark. It marked the third consecutive year Flaherty & Collins Properties was honored with more awards than any other company at the annual Midwest Prodigy & Indiana Apartment Association (IAA) Awards of Excellence. Since 2014, Flaherty & Collins Properties has been honored with 27 awards (8 in 2014, 11 in 2015 and 9 in 2016).

In addition, we also won the NAIOP Award for Best Mixed-Use Development for Axis!

To quote Frank Sinatra, it was a very good year!

BONUS MOMENT: F&C Management Ranks #1 in IBJ List of Top Property Management Companies

We were super excited this year to reclaim a spot a the top of the Largest Indianapolis-Area Multifamily Property Management Firms as compiled by the IBJ! Congrats to our outstanding property management team on this accomplishment!

BONUS MOMENT: Historic Whitlock Place Grand Opening

In November, F&C officially opened Historic Whitlock Place, an adaptive reuse development that creates 56 apartment homes in the historic Culver Union Hospital in downtown Crawfordsville.

 

“We are excited to open Historic Whitlock Place,” said Julie Collier, Vice President of Development with Flaherty & Collins Properties, at the ceremony. “This is truly a remarkable, transformative project for Crawfordsville and the greater neighborhood and community.”

Historic Whitlock Place consists of studio, one and two bedroom apartments. Nearly every unit is an individual, unique design, and features Energy Star windows and appliances to achieve the Silver level of National Green Building Standards for energy efficiency.

Drumroll please…

The Top 10 Moments of 2016 for Flaherty & Collins Properties

#10 – Groundbreaking of Evansville Housing Authority Projects

Flaherty & Collins Properties and the Evansville Housing Authority (EHA) broke ground in June on two Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) projects, located in Evansville, which provide public housing for seniors. EHA will use low-income tax credits awarded for HUD’s RAD, along with funds from private investors, to repair 888 units of assisted housing upon completion of phase 1 and 2 properties.

“We are excited to take the lead on these unique and transformative projects,” said Duane Miller, Vice President of Development and Community Asset Management at Flaherty & Collins Properties at the groundbreaking event. “Programs like this bring incredible positive change to the community, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of making it happen.”

RAD Phase 1 consists of Buckner Tower, Kennedy Tower, Schnute Apartments, White Oak Manor, and Caldwell Homes. RAD Phase 2 will include Fulton Square & Scattered Sites. The projects are the first in the state of Indiana utilizing RAD alongside the FHA 221(d)4 program.  RADs allow Public Housing Authority’s (PHAs) and owners of HUD-assisted housing to preserve and improve affordable housing units that could be subject to vouchers and demolition.

#9 – Union | Berkley Riverfront Park Breaks Ground

Flaherty & Collins Properties and Port KC kicked off the construction of Union | Berkley Riverfront Park, a mixed-use development along the Missouri River just blocks north of Downtown Kansas City, with a ground breaking ceremony in late November.

“We are excited to begin construction on this transformative property for Berkley Riverfront Park and Downtown Kansas City,” said Ryan Cronk, Vice President of Development for Flaherty & Collins Properties, at the event. “We believe this project, with quality housing that supports the growing Riverfront area, is another component that will continue to build on the thriving downtown of Kansas City. We have great partners with the Port KC team and can’t wait to showcase this project.”

Construction will occur over an 18-month period. Union expects to see first residents move-in mid-2018.

#8 – 306 Riverfront District Breaks Ground

As you can gather, we turned quite a bit of dirt over this year, breaking ground on several new projects. In October, it was 306 Riverfront District’s time to shine, as Flaherty & Collins Properties announced the groundbreaking of the $32-million mixed-use development of the former Apperson Brothers factory and surrounding property into a luxury apartment community.

“We believe this project will add quality housing that supports the growing Kokomo community. This project is a major component of the continual revival of downtown. We want people to Live, Work and Play in downtown Kokomo,” said Austin Carmony, Vice President of Development for Flaherty & Collins Properties.

With 198 luxury apartment homes and 4,800 square feet of retail space, 306 Riverfront District is set to open in the Winter of 2018.

#7 – Washington, D.C. Projects Announced

Over the years, Flaherty & Collins Properties has expanded it’s development and management footprint across the nation, but this was a first we were especially stoked about – not one, but two projects announced in Washington, D.C. as part of Mayor Bowser’s DC Housing Preservation Strikeforce.

  • Diane’s House, 2619 Bladensburg Road, NE (Ward 5), Flaherty & Collins Dev LLC and Diane’s House Ministries
  • St. Elizabeth’s East Housing, 1000 Alabama Avenue, SE (Ward 8), Anacostia Economic Development Corporation and Flaherty & Collins Development LLC

“We are thrilled to work with the Mayor and the City on these tremendous and impactful projects to preserve affordable housing across Washington, DC,” said Duane Miller, Vice President of Community & Asset Management for Flaherty & Collins Properties.

#6 – 2700 University Grand Opening 

What is the phrase? Out with the old and in with the new? Well, not quite yet. With all the new projects taking off in 2016, we cannot forget the projects we kicked off in 2015 that neared or reached completion – especially not one as transformative as 2700 University.

Just a couple weeks ago, the F&C team descended on Saint Paul, Minnesota to cut the ribbon and unveil the $54 million mixed-use, transit-oriented luxury residential apartment development near the Green Line Westgate Light Rail Transit station.

“Mixed-income, mixed-use developments like 2700 University will enhance prosperity in Saint Paul by providing affordable housing for 50 low-income families,” said HUD Midwest Regional Administrator, Antonio R. Riley. “The 2700 University partnership has demonstrated a successful approach that leverages public investment and traditional multi-family financing to provide affordable, stable housing opportunities.”

Project partners include the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of the City of Saint Paul, the Metropolitan Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC – Twin Cities), BMO Harris Bank, and the National Equity Fund, Inc. (NEF). UrbanWorks served as the project architect, with Kraus-Anderson as the General Contractor. Landform was the project engineer. 2700 University will be a LEED certified community.

“The 2700 University development is a valuable investment along the Green Line that will provide connected and accessible spaces for residents,” said Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. “With access to jobs, services, and all of the wonderful amenities our city has to offer, this development adds to the vibrancy of Saint Paul.”

We couldn’t agree more! Welcome to the F&C stable, 2700 University!

And here’s one more glance at that really cool ice sculpture at the event:

#5 – Duane Miller, Historic Greensburg Square Grace Cover of Affordable Housing Finance (AHF)

Mr. Miller had a good year, as you might already be able to deduce from all the projects the Affordable Development Team worked on bringing to fruition in 2016, but it was quite the moment when he and the truly cool Historic Greensburg Square project were featured as the cover story of AHF in January.

You take a good picture, Duane!

#4 – The Heights Linden Square Earn Their Green Globes

In May, The Heights Linden Square was awarded two “green globes” by the Green Building Initiative®, denoting that the project demonstrates excellent progress in the reduction of environmental impacts and use of environmental efficiency practices.

The Green Building Initiative’s® (GBI) Guiding Principles Compliance (GPC) is based on a site visit and detailed documentation review. A GBI-appointed third-party assessor verifies compliance and awards a Compliance Score and Rating. The Green Building Initiative’s® (GBI) Guiding Principles Compliance (GPC) programs are the first independent assessment and rating programs enabling government agencies to determine levels of compliance with the Guiding Principles, resulting from Executive Order 13514. By assembling the myriad of federal compliance requirements into one program, GPC facilitates the process to improve the sustainability of federally owned, leased or operated buildings.

GPC sets the standard for accuracy, consistency, and credibility through a clear and simple yet robust third-party evaluation process. Our streamlined process and third-party assessors minimizes agency personnel’s time and effort to determine the level of compliance with the Guiding Principles. In addition to recommending improvements prior to construction, assessors provide you with a final assessment at project completion. Hundreds of federal buildings have been assessed using the GBI GPC programs, and now many public and private buildings are set to evaluate.

We were honored to receive the Green Globe Awards, as F&C has been working hard on making our projects as green and innovative as possible. We’ll certainly continue that mission in 2017 as well!

#3 – One Team, One Dream

It was event years in the making, but we pulled it off, and rallied together nearly 2/3rds of Flaherty & Collins Properties 450-plus employees to the JW Marriott in Downtown Indianapolis for our 2016 Company Wide Event in late September.

The theme – One Team, One Dream – could not have been more appropriate.

At F&C, we are everywhere, as our Development, Construction and Management teams not only work on building affordable and market rate multifamily housing across the country, but also work on building strong communities where we live, work and play. The company -wide event was a chance for us to invest in building ourselves and uniting our team to celebrate, well, us. Our hard work and efforts, our accomplishments, and to come together under not just a slogan or mantra, but a goal.

We were very honored and pleased to have given back to the community during this time, building 40 bikes and donating them to three local charities. It was not only a team-building exercise, but one that did some good.

#2 – Jerry Collins Named IREM J. Wallace Paletou Award Winner

Jerry Collins, CPM, president of Flaherty & Collins Properties, a full-service multifamily development, construction and property management company based in Indianapolis, Indiana, was honored in October with the 2016 J. Wallace Paletou Award by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Foundation.

The J. Wallace Paletou Award, a national honor, was presented to Collins for his outstanding contributions to the real estate management industry and his extraordinary dedication to the profession. Collins achieved this IREM Foundation Award because he demonstrated leadership and professionalism that impacted his community through many channels and actions. The J. Wallace Paletou Award is an IREM Foundation award conferred upon an individual who has made significant contributions to the real estate management industry or contributed to the betterment of society as a whole through the role of a real estate manager.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition by the Institute of Real Estate Management,” said Collins at the event. “To spend a career doing what you love and working with good people who share your values about caring and giving back to others is the definition of time well spent. I am humbled by this recognition and I thank IREM and the tremendous team we have at Flaherty & Collins Properties for this honor.”

And we’re very proud of the tremendous leadership we have in you, Jerry! Way to go!

And finally, our No. 1 moment of 2016:

#1 – The Corporate Office Moves Downtown

Don’t get us wrong, we liked the old homestead on the North side of Indianapolis (and its quick access to the Apple Store for all our tech lovers). But it was time for us to get some new digs.

Just 10 days ago, we packed up and headed downtown to our new corporate headquarters on the 30th floor (and part of the 29th) of Regions Tower (One Indiana Square).

The picture below is just a small sample of what our old work room area looked like just hours before our move began the week before the holidays:

Organized chaos is a good phrase, so we’ll go with that. In reality, it was the result of a lot of hard work and leadership across the company, as we wanted to make sure we got it right.

The goal was always clear, and well put in our original press release from last summer:

“It was important for us to be in the heart of a thriving, bustling area,” said Jerry Collins, President of Flaherty & Collins Properties. “We started out here in 1993 and with all the projects we’ve down in major urban areas, this just makes sense and works with what we do. We talk a lot about urban, walkable areas with shopping and dining options, and as we continue to attract more employees to our corporate headquarters, we wanted our company to reflect what we’ve been doing with our projects.”

We’re pretty pleased with the results. And we could certainly get used to this view (and those painted sunrises):

The space is modern and contemporary, meant to encourage interaction, and intermixed with treadmill desks, a Golden Tee golf arcade game and a pool table to help employees blow off steam don’t hurt the cause. The space is also a tech upgrade, with interactive screens and spaces and multiple conference rooms with a variety of uses.

“Office space is not about the space and how people use it, it is about how can a space support a company’s culture and the people that bring it to life,” says Keith Cole, principal with Mitsch Design. Cole sees Flaherty & Collins Properties as ahead of the curve with its buildout, a reflection of the company’s culture and what modern employees are looking for.

“Over the coming years, the most significant change in office space and office buildings will be making the office a more comfortable work environment,” says Cole, who has worked with Flaherty & Collins Properties on building out amenity space for many of its recent developments, including The Depot at Nickel Plate in Fishers and 360 Market Square in downtown Indianapolis. “Let’s face it, we all spend more and more time at the office and less at home. For companies with great cultures, people love to connect with their “family” in the work place. To achieve this, you will see more residential and amenity settings.”

“We are excited to move our corporate office to Downtown Indianapolis,” said David Flaherty, CEO of Flaherty & Collins Properties, last summer. “Our new space reflects our growth as a company and puts us in the heart of a thriving urban area, where we specialize in many public/private, mixed-use projects both in Central Indiana and around the country. Perhaps most importantly, it allows us the ability to recruit the best and brightest from our industry by offering a tremendous employee environment that is walkable, bike-friendly, and truly, a live, work, play location.”

Well said. And we’re certainly excited for a new year in our new space and to see what lies ahead for Flaherty & Collins Properties in 2017.

With that, we end our countdown, and hope that you had a great 2016. From all of us at Flaherty & Collins Properties, we wish you, your families and friends, our partners and team members a very safe, prosperous and joyous New Year!

2700 University Unveiled in Grand Opening Ceremony

On Tuesday, Flaherty & Collins Properties officially cut the ribbon and opened our latest project, 2700 University, in Saint Paul. The project, a $54 million mixed-use, transit-oriented luxury residential apartment development near the Green Line Westgate Light Rail Transit station, features 248 luxury apartments, with 80% of the apartment homes set for market rate and 20% for affordable.

We were joined and honored to have City of Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman as our primary guest speaker. Mayor Coleman spoke highly of the project and the need for affordable housing that new residents will be proud to call home.

City Council President Russ Stark congratulated team members on a job well done, remarking about how wonderful the project was and what it meant to the community.

Other guest speakers included Michele Smith, Minnesota Field Office Director for HUD, Pam Daniels-Halisi (BMO) and our own lead developer on the project, Ryan Cronk.

The event featured local brews, Topeca coffee (the future retail tenant at 2700) and music by the Ned Canter Trio. And of course, with it being December in Minnesota – we had to do an ice sculpture!

Many of the F&C team traveled up for the festivities and can state with first-hand experience, the Light Rail Transit system is the way to go (it helped us catch our flight home)!

We’d like to thank all our guests, as well as our project partners – LISC, HUD, NEF, The Met Council, the City of Saint Paul, BMO, Landform, Kraus-Anderson, and Urbanworks for a terrific, powerful project.

Residents of 2700 University will enjoy features and amenities that include: A first floor bar/coffee shop; high speed Wi-Fi throughout; a state-of-the-art 1,400 square foot fitness center featuring Matrix Fitness equipment, a yoga studio, and Matrix® MyRide+ Group Cycling; a year-round, resort-style heated saltwater pool with wet deck, and a hot tub with a heated deck; a 20,000 square foot courtyard; an Outdoor Living Room with fire pits, commercial grade grills, and outdoor furniture; a 1,600 square foot Bark Park with a Dog Park Express Course including a water station and waste area; bike storage with repair tools, stands and pumps; and underground parking.

Apartments will include: 100% LED lighting; luxury wood-style flooring in the kitchen, entries, and living area; oversized flat slab kitchen cabinets with custom hardware; premium carpet in bedrooms; oversized energy efficient windows; front load, full size Energy Star-rated washer and dryers; quartz countertops; Nest® thermostats; frameless shower doors; and recessed/decorative patios or balconies.

Learn more at www.2700university.com.

Union Berkley Riverfront Park Breaks Ground in Kansas City

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On Tuesday, Flaherty & Collins Properties broke ground on Union | Berkley Riverfront Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The exciting project, developed by Flaherty & Collins Properties, is a mixed-use development along the Missouri River just blocks north of Downtown Kansas City.

You can read more about the project in our press release. And visit www.unionbp.com for more about the features and amenities of the project.

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We set up the site and prepared for a great morning with our project partners from Port KC, TCF, First Merchants Bank, Citizens Bank & Trust, Parse Capital, Landform and Cuningham.

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“We are excited to begin construction on this transformative property for Berkley Riverfront Park and Downtown Kansas City,” said Ryan Cronk, Vice President of Development for Flaherty & Collins Properties. “We believe this project, with quality housing that supports the growing Riverfront area, is another component that will continue to build on the thriving downtown of Kansas City. We have great partners with the Port KC team and can’t wait to showcase this project.”

The $72-million mixed-use development consisting of 410 luxury apartments and 12,400 square feet of retail space. A secure parking garage featuring 400 parking spaces, to be used by residents and retail customers, will be housed on property.

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Former Mayor Berkley (which Riverfront Park is named after) joined the festivities and celebrated the project. The development is just the beginning for the plans the Port KC team have envisioned for the Riverfront area.

“Port KC is very excited to have such tremendous partners in Flaherty & Collins Properties, building our first mixed-use development at Berkley Riverfront Park. Our partnership, from day one, has been focused to on fulfilling the vision of creating a vibrant new community along our waterfront,” said Michael Collins, President and CEO of Port KC.

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“It’s truly humbling knowing we can address so many desires today,” Collins said at the event. “We’re building a story.”

The project is chalk full of cool amenities and features – just check out the design and open space in the Club Room area:

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Residents of Union will enjoy features and amenities that include a 1st floor bar/coffee shop, high speed Wi-Fi throughout, and a state-of-the-art 1,600 square foot Fitness Center with yoga studio. Also included in fitness options is a Group Cycling Studio. Union will showcase a year-round, resort-style, heated saltwater pool with wet deck and hot tub, plus 35,000 total square feet of outdoor courtyard space with an Outdoor Living Room featuring fire pits, commercial grade grills and outdoor furniture. A pet-friendly community, Union features a 1,600 square foot private and elevated Bark Park with a Dog Park Express Course that includes a water station and waste area. The Bike Shop amenity features bike storage with repair tools, stands, TVs, post work-out relaxation area, ping pong, and beer tap.

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And Union will offer residents and guests gorgeous, panoramic views of downtown and the riverfront park area. These amenities will support and activate the Berkley Riverfront Park space next to the Missouri River and meets the goals that Port KC had in mind when they identified the project.

Apartments will include LED lighting, with luxury wood-style flooring in kitchen, entry and living area. Kitchens feature oversized, flat slab cabinets with custom hardware. In addition, apartments will feature premium carpet in bedrooms, oversized energy efficient windows, front load, full size Energy Star rated washer and dryers, and quartz countertops, plus luxury features including Nest® thermostats, frameless shower doors and recessed/decorative patios or balconies. Union will also include three furnished guest suites.

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Construction will occur over an 18-month period. Union expects to see first residents move-in mid-2018.

Learn more about the project at www.unionbp.com!

Behind the Scenes: Historic Whitlock Place Grand Opening

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Last week, Flaherty & Collins Properties held a Grand Opening ceremony of Historic Whitlock Place. Historic Whitlock Place is an adaptive reuse development that creates 56 apartment homes in the historic Culver Union Hospital in downtown Crawfordsville.

“We are excited to open Historic Whitlock Place,” said Julie Collier, Vice President of Development with Flaherty & Collins Properties, at the event. “This is truly a remarkable, transformative project for Crawfordsville and the greater neighborhood and community.”

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Historic Whitlock Place consists of studio, one and two bedroom apartments. Nearly every unit is an individual, unique design, and features Energy Star windows and appliances to achieve the Silver level of National Green Building Standards for energy efficiency.

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Historic detailing within the building were retained through construction, such as bullnose plaster corners, terrazzo floors, unique wood-frame windows, and painted stencil detailing in the hallways. Community Activity areas include a community atrium, a community room with a TV, a computer room with free internet access, and an exercise room with equipment. The exterior will also be landscaped with trees, shrubs and garden seating. Paved parking is also be provided on-site.

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“It was extremely important to keep the historical aspects of the building and enhance the exterior and interior look and feel of the building,” said Collier. “We’re thrilled with the results of Culver’s transformation.”

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Crawfordsville, consistently rated in the Top 100 Best Small Towns in America, is looking forward to this residential project in downtown that will serve seniors and families in need of quality housing. A historical rich community, Crawfordsville features cultural trail links, parks and many other forms of recreation.

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“Identifying an appropriate adaptive reuse for the former Culver Hospital has been a top priority and I am confident Historic Whitlock Place will fit nicely with our efforts to create a more livable community,” said Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton at the groundbreaking in June 2015.

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The project is a collaborative effort between Sustainable Solutions, Vision Communities, Flaherty & Collins Properties, the City of Crawfordsville, Palma Architects, and McKinley Development. Historic Whitlock Place is funded by the National Equity Fund, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. Merchants Bank of Indiana was the construction bridge lender for the development.

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IHCDA Celebrates 30 Years of LIHTC Program, Misty Glen Apartments in Hebron

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HEBRON, IND. –  The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) joined local and state officials earlier today at Misty Glen Apartments in Hebron to bring greater awareness to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. At the event, organized to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the LIHTC program, representatives from the development team shared the importance of the property of providing affordable housing and support services.

“LIHTC is the most important tool we have for creating affordable housing in our state,” said Jacob Sipe, Executive Director of the IHCDA. “Misty Glen is a prime example of how LIHTC can help support and leverage other public as well as private funds to provide affordable housing.”

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Developed and managed by Flaherty & Collins Properties, Misty Glen Apartments offers 80 one, two and three bedroom apartment homes that are safe and affordable. Located in Hebron, the apartments are just minutes away from neighboring Valparaiso.

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“On behalf of Misty Glen, Flaherty & Collins Properties is pleased to be a part of the celebration of 30 years of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program,” said Jill Herron, Senior Vice President of Management for Flaherty & Collins Properties. “For 30 years, the IHCDA has made a tremendous impact in cities, towns and communities throughout Indiana with the LIHTC program.”

The LIHTC program is administered in Indiana by IHCDA. The program is also referred to as the Rental Housing Tax Credit (RHTC) program. Since its inception in 1986, it has helped to develop and preserve over 50,000 units of affordable housing in the United States. This has resulted in an estimated $2.22 billion in local income and $5.64 billion in tax revenue.

IHCDA has plans to travel to several other tax credit properties this fall to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the LIHTC program which is October 22, 2016.

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