New homes to be build on property of former Pittsburg school - KOAM TV 7

A vacant property in Pittsburg will soon be a home to 10 families.  Some preliminary work is underway for the Lincoln Square Development Project at the site where the old Lincoln Elementary School use to be.

If you fall in the moderate income range you can apply to live in one of the ten homes that will be built.  Each will be three bedroom, two bath models built by different area contractors.

"I plan on buying one," says Pittsburg resident Sam Woollard.  "It's probably going to be a part of the five year plan."

For the last five years Woollard has been living in Pittsburg and for a while he lived at an apartment across the street from the still vacant property off 18th and Locust.  That property was once the Lincoln Elementary School, a family resource center, as well as a community health center.

"It was nice in the neighborhood so people around this area didn't have to travel to find different daycare's and stuff, it was better there, but now they have the learning center on the west side," says Woollard.

Now crews are working on the property that will soon be the home to the new homes.

With a $280,000 grant the city will add sewer lines, gas, and water lines to each piece of property.

"We are also going to have some money that will be assisting the home buyers," says Deena Hallacy, a Community Development Specialist.  "We'll have up to a $10,000 grant to each home buyer for a down payment and closing costs and then we'll have another $7,500 that will have some ties to it but it will also provide down payments and closing costs."

To be eligible, you have to meet certain income guidelines.  A family of four, for example, would have to make no more than $82,800 per year.

"This will bring new life and activity into that area," says Brian Jones, a broker and owner of Jones Heritage Realtors.  "In that neighborhood prices I know go around from about $35,000 up to about $125,000 so these houses will fit into that community well and it should help that neighborhood a lot."

"I think it'll do the community good to have new moderate homes and stuff in town because it'll have more people from the outsides of town moving in so that way you won't have to worry about throwing money out everyday to go to work to just put fuel in the car and stuff, then you can just drive in town and it'll be a lot cheaper," says Woollard.

Officials hope to start building these homes in the next month or so.  Water lines will be put in here in the next few weeks.

If you believe you qualify as a moderate income family and would like to apply stop by the cities Community Development Building off North Pine downtown.

Residents can apply now through March 15.