Promise In Brevard gets $15.8 million housing deal
WEST MELBOURNE – Promise In Brevard has been awarded $15.8 million to construct an innovative residential campus for special-needs adults near the Hammock Landing shopping complex.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation announced the financial package this morning during a board meeting at Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport.
Promise In Brevard owns 39 acres of property off Norfolk Parkway, just north of the Carmike West Melbourne 12 movie theater. The nonprofit plans to build a trio of three-story apartment buildings for 125 special-needs residents, along with a 13,000-square-foot clubhouse.
"Our prayers have been answered," said Executive Director Betsy Farmer, who founded the group in 2005 with her son, Luke, who has Down syndrome.
"It's been a long nine years. But the timing is right, and we're ready. We're ready to get this show on the road," Farmer said.
FHFC officials awarded $11.8 million in federal low-income housing tax credits for the project. The developer will raise capital for construction by selling these tax credits to private investors.
Also, FHFC awarded a $3 million developmental-disability grant and $1 million from a state apartment-incentive loan program. Last December, the agency awarded similar packages to construct Arc Village in Jacksonville and Villages at Noah's Landing in Lakeland for disabled people.
Tuesday, the West Melbourne Planning and Zoning Board unanimously approved an 18-month extension for the project's conceptual site plan. Farmer hopes to host a groundbreaking ceremony in July.
In the future, the nonprofit hopes to start various on- and off-campus businesses to employ 80 to 90 percent of its special-needs residents. These include a hydroponic garden, plant nursery, farmers market, hair and nail salon, bed-and-breakfast, dog park and a café at the Field of Dreams sports complex.
And in a second, separately funded development on the Minton Road side of campus, Farmer hopes construction will start next year on a 9-acre townhome subdivision for parents and relatives who want to live near Promise In Brevard residents.
"Nobody's doing what we're doing. Nobody that I know of in the country is doing a subdivision adjacent for the family members to live," she said.
Farmer said 275 people have filled out surveys expressing interest in living at the future West Melbourne campus. Projected average age of the residents: 29.
The nonprofit's first business, Promise Treasures Thrift Shoppe, opened in October 2013 at Metro West Shopping Plaza. Eight special-needs workers are on the payroll, and more than 30 have received vocational training, Farmer said.
More than 40 volunteers help staff the thrift store and accompanying café. The venture attracts about 1,500 customers per month and generated a better-than-expected $23,000 in gross income in October, Farmer said.
Promise In Brevard initially targeted Viera for a housing site. Later, a potential property in Palm Bay fell through before the organization chose West Melbourne.
"It's been a long and winding road, that's for sure. But you know, God gave me this vision nine years ago when my son Luke told me that he wanted to move out and live on his own like his big brother, Josh, who's a fire-medic with the county," Farmer said.
"I started looking around to see what was available for him — and all it was was group homes," she said. "He's been mainstreamed. He wants to be with friends and people, and have a life."
Six Florida Institute of Technology students will live at the complex as housing assistants, Farmer said. She joked that, "for six and a half years, when I shared this vision with people, they thought I was nuts."
"My dream is to help other communities around the country do this. If we can do this in little West Melbourne, why can't bigger cities do this too?"
Contact Neale at 321-242-3638, rneale@floridatoday.com or follow @RickNeale1 on Twitter. See other stories by FLORIDA TODAY's Rick Neale at http://tinyurl.com/ossgc3b
Celebration planned
Promise In Brevard will celebrate its funding award from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Treasures Promise Thrift Shoppe, 3040 W. New Haven Ave., West Melbourne.
Refreshments will be served.