A newly constructed apartment building on St. Paul's East Side will provide housing to tenants at the lowest income levels.

The Parkway Apartments at 1428 7th St. E. include 60 units of deeply affordable and Section 8-eligible housing, financed in part by the city.

St. Paul leaders, including Mayor Melvin Carter, state Sen. Foung Hawj and City Council members Jane Prince and Dai Thao, attended a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting outside the building last week. Developer JB Vang is based in St. Paul.

"This is a transformative moment," Thao said. "We always talk about Hmong business, Hmong leaders coming together to work for the community, and this is an example of it that is so inclusive."

The building will include nine, one-bedroom units, 18 two-bedroom units and 33 three-bedroom units.

"I look forward to working with the city, the county and state to develop more community-sensitive, family-friendly affordable housing projects in the future," said J. Kou Vang of JB Vang.

Carter thanked Vang and the development company for building the apartments as the city strives to meet its crucial housing needs, which include more affordable housing for larger families.

"Projects like this — it's exciting," Carter said. "It's helping our families to have a stable place to live with dignity as they pursue their dreams and their schooling or building their business."

Building amenities include a community room, fitness center, maker space and indoor bike locks. Outside, the property offers a playground, picnic area, dog run and walking trail. The brightly lit units face the woods.

St. Paul is for families, said Prince, who represents the area and recalled working with Michael Thao on the apartment development as far back as 2016.

"The range of incomes that can live in this building are from very, very low, up to 60% of Area Median Income," she said. "We're very proud of that."