North Smithfield, RI – New England Construction is pleased to announce breaking ground on Marshfield Commons, an affordable housing development located in North Smithfield, RI. O’Hearne Associates from Slatersville, Rhode Island is providing architecteral services. NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley (NWBRV) is the developer leading the project. “We are pleased to partner with New England Construction on this project and look forward to working with them to make this project a success,” said Ainsley Morisseau Cantoral, Director of Communications for NWBRV. This new affordable housing development will feature 17 walk-up style buildings with 38 rental units and a community center.
The town of North Smithfield was selected as the chosen location for many reasons including; income levels, demand for available affordable housing, and its wooded setting. According to Cantoral, “Nearly 50% of renters in Northern RI spend over 30% of their income on housing costs. The Town of North Smithfield is no exception – recent figures estimate that a family of 3 earning about $32,000 per year spends about 80% of their income on rental housing costs if they live in the town. We are fortunate to have wonderful partners in the Town of North Smithfield, who have worked with us for many years now to increase the number of affordable units available in their community”.
The central goal of Marshfield Commons is to create more high-quality affordable housing. Marshfield Commons is being built on 8 acres of land. “NWBRV’s projects make affordable housing available to low- and moderate- income individuals and families while preserving the character of the land and surrounding community. Projects like this also act as a catalyst for economic development – not only do projects like this put local folks to work building the housing, they spur additional investments and attract new residents and consumers to the marketplace,” said Cantoral. 75% of this 8-acre site will be preserved as green open space. The complex will be built utilizing Energy Star® Compliant materials.