Meadows Phase 2 breaks gound
Members of MCAHP at the groundbreaking ceremony for Meadows Phase 2, a subsidized housing project that will begin construction soon. In the center right (dark blue jacket) is MCAHP Chairperson Dennis Siders. Submitted photo.
The Meadows of Fredericktown Phase 2 broke ground to build 40 additional affordable housing units on January 12. They are a subsidized special housing project paid for by a tax credits typically awarded to a handful of rural areas with much cheaper designs.
The Meadows is near Pine Castle Estates, the first complex built in 2023. They will house 85 residents and share the same circular design as Meadows Phase 1.
They are built by the Madison County Affordable Housing Project (MCAHP) Board, who applied for awards with the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC).
MCAHP received $12 million in tax credits to sell to investors, MCAHP Chairperson Dennis Siders said. The project itself costs about $8 million.
Siders said he was surprised MHDC agreed to phase 2, since of the 25 yearly awards only about seven go to rural areas. Sider’s design was more expensive than many it beat out. He attributes his fortune to his Master’s in Planning, and designed houses that were “user friendly, resident friendly.”
Siders chose a circle instead of the typical side streets because it encourages cleaner streets without cars and encourages residents to socialize and see each other more.
A house from Meadows Phase 1, which will look the same as Phase 2. Matt Morey, Democrat News
“We just had a really good plan,” he said. “Residents can talk to each other, they’re close. It just made for a really nice neighborhood.”
He pushed back against wider streets in city board approval in Sept. 2024, when members of the city board contested the street width. They asked to make them 34 feet, the recommended space for fire trucks. With a wider street, cars can park on either side of the street.
Siders fought for 21-foot streets since they are a common and pro-social practice: neighbors are physically closer, can wave and see each other without cars obstructing the view. His solution was to build a separate parking lot and garages.
He said under his deal, MCAHP owns the streets and will maintain them, though the road leading to the housing complex will be 34 feet.
Construction will begin in February, with anticipated completion in Spring, 2027. They will allow members to start applying as units are finished. The new development will be identical to the original Meadows of Fredericktown which finished construction in 2023.
The new development will consist of 20 duplexes. There will be 10 three-bedroom units and 30 two-bedroom units, each with a garage, full kitchen and laundry facilities.
They will be connected to the recreational place like the basketball court, with more planned like a dog fence or pavilion.
The monthly rent is estimated to be about $460 for the two-bedroom units and $560 for the three-bedrooms. Since this was financed through MHDC income will be part of the selection criteria, with both minimum and maximum income limits, Siders said. Applications for residency will be available approximately three months prior to the first units being completed.
The original Meadows of Fredericktown, built in 2022, have been successful with a very low turnover rate and 85 households on a waiting list to become residents.
