(Harlan) Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Industry Director Todd Valline says dirt work for the new Christiansen Meadows Housing Development project on the north edge of Harlan is expected to start before the first of the year.
Prairie Fire Development from Kansas City is working with the City on this project, that includes two-eight Multi-family housing units.“Much like all rural areas, we not only need housing in general, we need housing at multiple levels,” said Valline. “This project will bring roughly $6 million of contract work to the area.”
Because tax credit money is being used, the facilities will stay as rentals. Valline says rent payments will be lower than the average market rate for the area. “This housing project also provides workers living outside the area a chance to move to the community in which they’re employed,” said Valline.
In April, the Prairie Fire Development Group LLC received just over $710,800 in housing tax credits for the project. The allocation was part of over $8.6 million in federal housing tax credits awarded to help the construction of 552 rental homes for families and senior citizens across the state. Other Cities besides Harlan awarded tax credits included; Red Oak, Pella, Norwalk, Marion, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Grimes, Marshalltown, Spencer, Waterloo, and Urbandale.
