BettyJean Murphy and Elinor Bacon have been selected to serve as development consultants and construction managers for Washington Square, a $4.3 million, 59-unit affordable housing project in the Washington Hill section of East Baltimore.
Their joint venture, the Bacon-Murphy Partnership, was selected over eight other groups considered to manage the project for the Washington Hill Development Corp., a non-profit citizens' group that initiated it.
Washington Square involves construction of new and rehabilitated town houses and condominiums for low- and moderate-income residents on four city-owned parcels within the Washington Hill urban renewal area, established in 1971. First mortgages would range from $34,000 to $70,000 to residents who meet state eligibility requirements.
Betty Hyatt, director of Citizens for Washington Hill and head of the community development group, expects construction to begin in January and be complete within 18 months to two years.
"We're very excited," Ms. Hyatt said. "It's the last major development parcel that we have. It will complete the redevelopment of a 27-square-block area, except for single buildings here and there."
""We're trying to take this opportunity to get people to take a look at the city again," Ms. Murphy said.
The project involves construction of:
* 10 three-story, three-bedroom, two-bathroom town houses at 1423 to 1441 E. Baltimore St.
* 22 one- two- and three-bed room condominiums at 1400 to 1424 E. Baltimore St.
* 13 town houses, including 11 rehabilitated buildings and two new buildings, at 15 to 39 N. Eden St.
* 6 new town houses at 1403 to 1413 E. Fairmount St.
* 8 new town houses 20-34 N. Spring St.
Schamu, Machowski, Doo and Associates is the project architect, and Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse is the general contractor.
The Baltimore office of Prudential Preferred Properties is handling sales, with Jay Marotte as the sales agent.
Maryland's Community Development Administration would lend mortgage funds, and Baltimore's non-profit Community Development Financing Corp. would provide $3,037 in construction financing. The city of Baltimore would contribute approximately $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds and would sell the land to the developers for a nominal sum.
In addition, Baltimore housing officials are seeking approval to use $990,000 in federal Urban Development Action Grant funds that were awarded in 1980 to help finance the project.
Around the region: * Scott Lebowitz has been named a partner in Papier Interiors and Design Group Inc. and will hold the title of vice president. Joyce Griffith is the president. Gus Diakoulas, a former partner, left the company earlier this year.