Before too long, a vacant property near the heart of downtown Overland Park will become apartments for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and people with low income.
Spearheaded by local nonprofit Friends of Johnson County Developmental Supports, the Floyd Project is a proposed $10 million multifamily apartment complex coming to the northwest corner of 79th and Floyd streets.
Over the years, the nonprofit has been remodeling and building single-family homes in Johnson County to make them accessible, suitable living spaces for adults with disabilities. The new Floyd Project marks Friends of JCDS’ first foray into larger-scale multifamily living.
When completed, it will have 17 units, a new gallery space for the JCDS Emerging Artists Program, community spaces and offices for Friends of JCDS.
Construction officially got underway on Tuesday as community members, future tenants of the Floyd project and Friends of JCDS turned the dirt on the site.
“This project is a great example of what can happen when people come together with a common mission and a common goal and get something done,” said Janel Bowers, executive director of Friends of JCDS.
Who will live in the Friends of JCDS Floyd apartments?
The majority of the units in the new apartment building will be reserved for individuals who receive services from JCDS. Additional units will also be available for lease by very low- and extremely low-income individuals based on federal standards.
“This building will be more than bricks and mortar; it’s about building independence, stability, and belonging for adults with disabilities. This project allows residents who are an integral part of the fabric of our community to live affordably, comfortably and proudly right here in downtown Overland Park,” Overland Park Councilmember Logan Heley said.
John Bartolac, Johnson County Developmental Supports’ governing body chairperson, said JCDS has been hearing for a long time about a need for something like the Floyd Street apartments project.
“This groundbreaking represents hope for the people who will live here, people who have waited for housing that meets their needs, families who have dreamed of long-term stability for their loved ones, and community members who deserve to live, work and thrive in a place that welcomes them fully,” he said Tuesday.
In the past, Bowers told the Post that she expects most, if not all, of the tenants to use federal housing vouchers. So, rents will be set at a third of tenants’ monthly income.
JCDS Emerging Artists will also have space in Floyd apartments
A new gallery for the JCDS Emerging Artists Program will occupy a space on the lower level of the building.
Through that program, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities create artwork that is displayed and sold at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center. Their artwork is also sold at art shows. All proceeds from the artworks’ sale go back to the artist.
This new gallery space will be in addition to the Emerging Artists space at the Arts and Heritage Center.
Additionally, there will be open space on the property designated for urban agriculture, which tenants can use to grow produce for themselves and their neighbors.
Friends of JCDS has other big projects in the pipeline
In addition to the Floyd Project, Friends of JCDS also recently acquired a former MED-ACT ambulance station in northern Overland Park to convert to more affordable, accessible housing.
Currently working its way through Overland Park’s planning process, the project could provide two or three new units specifically for adults with disabilities.
The old ambulance station at 8500 Grandview Lane has been vacant for a couple of years since its services were transferred to another station. Friends of JCDS acquired it through Johnson County’s new Leveraging Assets for New Development initiative, which prioritizes offloading the county’s underused properties for housing and other redevelopment efforts.
The building is located near the Elmhurst neighborhood, near Shawnee Mission West High School. Friends of JCDS estimates it will take just shy of $1 million to convert the property for residential use.
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