June 28, 2004 - Tour of Kinyon-Campbell is last chance before transformation into housing     By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer NEW BEDFORD -- A former parochial school and business school in the Acushnet Heights neighborhood will be converted into low-income housing for families by a collection of Boston-area nonprofits. The former Kinyon-Campbell Business School at 59-65 Linden St., once a parochial school for the St. Joseph's and Holy Name parishes, is being renovated into 12 apartments for families considered very low income. The plans also call for a community center and the new headquarters of NorthStar Learning Centers, a local service agency. The project will be called Acushnet Commons. The developer of the project is Home Funders, a public-private partnership dedicated to addressing the crisis in family homelessness through increasing the supply of extremely affordable housing units in Massachusetts. "We're thrilled at the potential this building now holds for the Acushnet Heights neighborhood," said JoAnn McGrath of the Highland Street Connection, the donor of the building and a Home Funders partner. "As a Home Funders partner, we're focused on creating extremely affordable housing for those families most in need, but this holds the promise to be a stellar example of how that goal can be of benefit to the community as a whole." A celebration of the donation and a tour of the building's interior prior to demolition work will take place tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., at 59-65 Linden St. Representatives from the City of New Bedford, including Mayor Frederick M. Kalisz Jr., and Home Funders will host a brief speaking program. Currently owned by the Highland Street Connection, the former school will be donated to the Women's Institute for Housing and Economic Development, manager of the project. Home Funders has also committed funds to finance the pre-development costs. The building has been vacant for the past eight years. Plans for the project have been approved by the city's Planning Board; construction is set to begin in July. Five of the 12 units in Acushnet Commons will be available to families earning less than 30 percent of the area's median income, which is the target population for Home Funders initiatives. The remaining units will be available to families making less than 60 percent of the median income. A family of four earning $23,000 would be earning 30 percent of the median income. The first floor of the building will house the new headquarters of NorthStar Learning Centers, offering such on-site services as job training, mentoring programs and computer training, and also provides child care, after-school programs and early childhood education. Within its offices will also be a community center for use by other agencies and community groups. "The Acushnet Commons revitalization project is helping to contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Acushnet Heights neighborhood into a source of community pride and accomplishment," Mayor Kalisz said in a press release. "The project will only enhance the positive changes in the neighborhood and a renewed sense of optimism." "The partnerships formed through this initiative have been proactive and supportive in creating affordable housing opportunities. The utilization of federal HOME funding will assist in the transformation of this historic building and will have an immediate and positive impact within the Acushnet Heights neighborhood," Patrick Sullivan, New Bedford's Housing and Community Development director, said in the press release. This story appeared on Page A4 of The Standard-Times on June 28, 2004. Back to Press Archives Page