ACHP/HUD Secretary's Award For Excellence In Historic Preservation

Located in Washington, D.C., and completed in December 2021, The Appleton at Spring Flats is a $29.8 million adaptive reuse of the historic Hebrew Home for the Aged. The Hebrew Home for the Aged was constructed in 1925 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The rehabilitation retained ornamental Star of David windows, exterior brick, terra cotta bas relief, and two original cornerstones.

The Appleton at Spring Flats has 88 affordable, age‐restricted apartments, including 14 Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units for individuals who have experienced homelessness. This project is part of an inter-generational mixed-income campus that includes rental and homeownership opportunities for seniors and families. A variety of accessible indoor and outdoor amenity spaces are made available to residents including an exterior park with sculpture installation by local artist Jackie Braitman, a penthouse community room with a business center, an activity/game room with a terrace, a fitness center, a wellness room, and a revitalized interior courtyard with flower beds and bench seating. Social and health services appropriate to the community will be coordinated for the amenity spaces for all residents, in partnership with an extensive network of local non-profits and health service providers. These are tailored to allow residents to age-in-place as needs and interests change. An additional layer of on-site supportive services is provided to the 14 PSH residents in partnership with the local Department of Human Services and Catholic Charities, which allows these residents to address barriers to maintaining stable housing and provides the support and structure they may need to positively integrate into their community.

Leila Finucane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Victory Housing, accepted the award on behalf of The Appleton at Spring Flats. “We are honored to receive the ACHP/HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation on behalf of the entire team,” Finucane said. “Spring Flats, a public-private partnership with the District of Columbia to redevelop a 3.3 acre site, included this endeavor to restore the historic but long vacant Hebrew Home for the Aged into The Appleton, an affordable senior community. Revitalizing this once-cherished community asset while fulfilling our mission to provide affordable senior housing has been a labor of love for Victory Housing, Brinshore, Banc of America CDC, Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners, and Hamel Builders, and we have appreciated the support and input of the neighborhood community and all of our other partners along the way.”

This Advisory Council on Historic Preservation video highlights the history and restoration of The Appleton at Spring Flats.

Located in Cleveland, Ohio, and completed in October 2021, Commodore Place Apartments is a mixed-use historic high rise where residents of all incomes have access to shopping, dining, social services, the arts, and cultural opportunities. The building originally opened in 1924 as a hotel and was converted to apartments in 1964. The building, clad with red brick and accented with stone, retains its distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques that characterize the property in the Tudor Revival style. The restoration retained the original corridor layout on the upper floors.

Commodore Place Apartments is comprised of 198 residential units. The rehabilitation effort preserved 144 affordable, Section 8 subsidized units and added 54 market-rate units. The studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments offer an open concept floorplan featuring all-inclusive utilities, central heating and cooling, luxury flooring, large closets, and energy efficient kitchens through a LEED-certified comprehensive rehabilitation, and the building’s ground floor has approximately 12,000 square feet of commercial space. Building amenities include a community room, fitness center, controlled building access, laundry rooms on every floor, and bicycle storage. Residents have access to a full-time resident services coordinator and can receive support related to job programs, educational and vocational training, financial literacy programs, daycare, and after school care programs.

Patricia Belden, Executive Vice President of The Community Builders, accepted the award on behalf of Commodore Place Apartments. “As an anchor in Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood, Commodore Place preserves housing affordability for almost 200 families, near transit and grocery stores,” Belden said. “On behalf of The Community Builders, I extend my deepest thanks to Secretary Fudge and Chair Bronin for their stewardship, and the many partners and leaders who made this preservation possible, including the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, the City of Cleveland, Key Bank and, most especially, the residents of Commodore Place.”

This Advisory Council on Historic Preservation video highlights the history and restoration of Commodore Place Apartments.