40 Unit Apartment Building for Homeless Planned for St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD -- A new apartment building for the homeless in St. Cloud is being planned. Center City Housing Corp. is developing River Heights Apartments. It is the same company that built River Crest Housing in 2010 on the site of a former American Legion in southeast St. Cloud. They say its always been their intention of another development on that site at 1307 Lincoln Avenue Southeast.

River Heights Apartments will provide permanent housing for single adults with behavioral health needs. The project will provide 40 one-bedroom apartments with full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room. The building will be three stories with community spaces and office space.

It's different than the current River Crest which has a full-service commercial kitchen and serves meals three times a day.

St. Cloud City Council Member Carol Lewis says she's in favor of the project.

I deal with them on a regular basis and they are very top notch folks and I really appreciate them and the work they do for the community.

Council Member Mike Conway also believes it will be an asset to the city.

I think it's a much better setting than we're maybe doing with the multiple units within the city proper itself.

The council voted unanimously Monday night in favor of a resolution of support for Center City Housing's tax credit application to the Minnesota Housing Financing Agency.

The company has similar projects in Owatonna and Winona which they say 100 percent of the residents have stayed for longer than six months with an average length of stay being two years and four months.

In order for the project to proceed, the Zoning Board of Appeals will need to consider a conditional Use Permit.