Address: 1277 County Road D Circle E., Vadnais Heights

Type: Affordable multifamily housing

Units: 36

Developer: MWF Properties

Architect: Miller Hanson Partners

Details: Affordable housing developer MWF Properties has secured preliminary approvals for a second phase of its Willow Ridge Apartments near the Interstate 694 and Hwy. 61 interchange in Vadnais Heights.

The first phase of 47 units, located just south of I-694, was built in 2007 after the creation of a $274,000 tax increment financing district. Willow Ridge East is now planned for an adjacent 1.3-acre lot. It is currently vacant following the demolition of a single-family house there last year.

City officials said MWF plans to purchase the lot by the end of 2017 in preparation for the new 36-unit building, which, like the first phase, would be contingent upon receiving TIF assistance from the city as well as housing tax credits allocated by the state. If the financing is secured in 2018, the construction plans call for a start in the spring of 2019, with completion about a year later.

The design envisions a three-story building with housing for 98 to 110 people. Rents are to be affordable for tenants earning 50 percent of the area median income, translating to between $800 and $1,175 per month.

The unit mix includes one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments geared toward working families with young children. The amenities list includes a community room, fitness center and in-unit laundries.

Don Jacobson