Kankakee County Housing Authority unveils $14M housing development

The Kankakee County Housing Authority cut the ribbon Wednesday on a $14 million affordable housing development called West Harbor Residences, located in Kankakee’s 5th Ward.

The West Harbor complex, a 27-building, 36-unit project just off North Fifth Avenue, is the first major KCHA housing development constructed since the 1970s.

“It’s been over 50 years since we had a major, affordable housing project in Kankakee,” KCHA Chairman Doug Jones said. “So, this is a big step for us here.”

KCHA Commissioner William Perakis said the development is a milestone that represents “progress, partnership and possibility.”

“Some say, ‘Not in my yard.’ But what if your yard was a place where dignity began?” Perakis said. “Modern, clean public housing doesn’t bring decline. It brings stability, safety and a future.”

The development replaces a 10-building, 34-unit complex that was demolished.

The 6-acre project consists of 20 two-bedroom units and 16 three-bedroom units. It includes 18 single-family houses and nine two-unit apartments.

Occupants are leasing the properties. Rent was set at $1,280 for two-bedroom units and $1,725 for three-bedroom units. The two-bedroom units are 1,205 square feet, and the three-bedroom units are 1,510 square feet.

Tours were offered of a few of the inhabited homes Wednesday, with the residents helping to greet visitors.

Also during the ceremony, a street within the complex was named in honor of Theodis Pace, president of the Kankakee County branch of the NAACP, for his longtime role as a community advocate.

The street was named West Pace Boulevard.

‘The little things’

Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis referenced his goal of building 500 new housing units by 2030 and said he will count these 36 units toward that goal.

“Affordable housing is not a negative word; it’s a positive word,” Curtis said. “Costs are very high today. Everyone needs affordable housing. This is the future of Kankakee.”

Curtis said city officials have been watching the project with excitement for the past couple of years, and residents have been watching with curiosity.

What Curtis said he finds most exciting are the details that have been put into the project.

“It’s the little things,” he said.

Close attention was paid to the colors of roofs and siding, the masonry and stonework, lighting and landscaping, and a playground installed for children.

“We wanted the streetlights to match our downtown. Why? Because we wanted to make our community not just in downtown,” Curtis said. “We want it to be in the 5th Ward; we want it to be in the 1st Ward, the 7th Ward and citywide.”

The niceties in the details are more than just aesthetically pleasing, he said.

“You feel like. It’s not a place to live – you feel like you’ve got a place that’s home,” Curtis said.

‘A step in the right direction’

Perakis said that affordable housing is not a burden on neighborhoods, but rather, it is a foundation for building stronger ones.

“The West Harbor Residences represents what’s possible when vision, persistence and collaboration come together,” Perakis said. “It creates homes, hope, stability and opportunities for future generations.”

Jones said that as the project started to take shape, people began asking questions about how they could live there, not realizing it was meant to be affordable housing.

That was the goal – to provide “exceptional affordable housing” that simply gives people the chance to improve their lives, Jones said.

State Rep. Jackie Haas, R-Kankakee, said the development is “absolutely beautiful” and will be an asset to the community.

“The West Harbor Residences are most definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to addressing the housing crisis we’re facing in this region,” Haas said. “These units of new housing will allow people to afford a home while working hard to create a better future for themselves and for their families.”

Partnerships

James Roberts, senior managing director of Affordable Housing Developers/Consultants, said the development was the result of patience, perseverance and partnership.

“Today is a very important day for the city of Kankakee because to develop a community like this, it really takes a great deal of commitment, both from the public and the private side, to bring to fruition,” Roberts said.

He credited the vision of KCHA and city leadership, as well as investors Cinnaire Advancing Communities, IFF and U.S. Bank. The project was completed by Carlson Bros. Inc. Construction.

“We hope that opens the door to more investments, more opportunities to do transformative work across the communities and neighborhoods,” Roberts said.

KCHA Executive Director Joseph Anderson said that although this development is finished, the organization’s work is not done.

“The true test of government is how well it treats the elderly, the sick, the poor,” Anderson said. “I’m challenging every elected official here to let’s raise the bar. Let’s move up in this community.”

West Pace Boulevard

Pace was surrounded by family and friends for the street dedication, and he received a standing ovation from the crowd.

But he said the work he does to advocate for children and others in need is neither about fame nor accolades.

Rather, it is because of his love for the Kankakee community. It is because he believes in justice, and he believes in the community’s children.

“You do not always see the impact in the moments, but standing here today, I see it, I feel it, and that’s a blessing beyond words,” he said regarding the housing development.

Pace said he was honored to be recognized in such a way while he is still around to see it, which he views as his calling to keep standing up for what is right.

“It isn’t just about me; it’s about what can happen when you live by principles. When you choose to show up, even when it’s hard. When you pour into the people around you,” Pace said. “I hope that every child who walks on this block, every young person who sees [the street sign], understand that you do not have to be rich in money to be wealthy in purpose.”