WPRO News

A public housing complex in Pawtucket is in the midst of a $42 million overhaul, including new kitchens and bathrooms, flooring and windows and new boilers and roofs.

The Prospect Heights Apartments, built in the early days of World War II become the first project of its kind in Rhode Island to utilize federal Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD funds, and the first housing development in the country on the National Register of Historic Places to use RAD funding.

“We are here today to celebrate a ribbon-cutting of phase one, and a groundbreaking on phase three, and we expect phase three to close by the end of the year,” said Adam Stein, Senior Vice President of Boston-based WinnDevelopment.

Residents are being relocated on a temporary basis to other units in the Prospect Heights complex as work progresses on each phase.

In addition to the overhaul of the 292 apartments, 20 new townhouse-style buildings will be constructed utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits, reserved for those earning at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income.