ODENTON, MD- On Wednesday, May 17th Arundel Community Development Services, Inc. (ACDS) Executive Director Kathleen Koch joined County Executive Steven Schuh and State officials to participate in the grand opening celebration of Berger Square, a brand new 48 unit development that provides affordable housing in Odenton. Watch the Berger Square grand opening ceremony here. Berger Square was developed by Homes for America in partnership with Foundation Development, LLC and Chesapeake Neighbors, LLC to serve low and moderate income households earning less than 60 percent of the area median income. The project involved a mix of financing, including a $750,000 federal HOME loan administered by ACDS and a PILOT Agreement provided by the County to leverage a total of $15.7 million in private equity and government loans.
“Not only does this development serve people with disabilities who are living on a fixed income, it provides affordable housing for our County’s workforce – that is daycare providers, service industry workers, custodians and health aides – just to name a few,” said Mr. Schuh in his remarks to the gathered crowd. “I want to take this opportunity to thank Kathy Koch at Arundel Community Development Services and her staff for all the work they do to support affordable housing in Anne Arundel County and this project is a shining example of that.”
Berger Square is located within The Odenton Town Center- a 1,600 acre master-planned, mixed use development centered around the MARC commuter train station and in close proximity to Fort Meade. “We are so excited about this particular development because of where it is,” said Ms. Koch. “Odenton is a booming area, targeted for growth. Berger Square gives its residents access to new employment opportunities, as well as transportation options and quality schools.”
Delegates Pam Beidle and Mark Chang, Secretary Carol Beatty of the Maryland Department of Disabilities, Mathew Heckles, Director of the Maryland Community Development Administration, and Kathy Ebner and Trudy McFall of Homes for America provided remarks as well. The presentation was followed by a tour of the new apartments, which are fully leased up and have a waiting list of over one year because of the high demand for affordable housing in the area.
Berger Square Grand Opening Video