Type: Affordable senior housing

Units: 164

Developers: SCA Properties, Evergreen Real Estate Development Corp.

Architect: Kaas Wilson Architects

Details: A Twin Cities development team experienced in affordable senior housing is redeveloping a site in Brooklyn Center.

SCA Properties, led by Shelter Corp. founder Gary Carlson, and Evergreen Real Estate Development Corp. of Prior Lake, each specialize in leveraging federal tax credits and Medicaid elderly waiver reimbursements to spur affordable senior housing. Together, the companies own and operate nine multifamily rental communities in Minnesota.

SCA and Evergreen in March signed a letter of intent to purchase three vacant, city-owned parcels along Brooklyn Boulevard and combine them into a 5.5-acre site for the Sanctuary at Brooklyn Center. The plans envision 140 one-bedroom assisted-living units in a four-story building, with an additional 24 studio units in an adjoining one-story structure.

The key parcel is 6121 Brooklyn Blvd., which until 2013 was the site of the Courage Center's Cars for Courage used-car donation program. After Courage Center merged with Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, the car operation moved to Golden Valley and the city bought the parcel in hopes of luring an affordable senior housing project.

The project faced a $3 million financing gap. The builders agreed to waive $1.5 million in development fees, and the Brooklyn Center City Council on Monday approved a new tax increment financing district to cover the shortfall.

Don Jacobson is a freelance writer in St. Paul. He can be contacted at hotproperty.startribune@gmail.com.