The Washington State Housing Finance Commission recently provided financing needed to complete the funding package for the planned $4 million Appleway Court II low-income senior apartment project in Spokane Valley, says Alan Curryer, CEO of Spokane United Methodist Homes.

In mid-May, the commission issued $2 million in tax-exempt bonds, combined with $967,000 in housing credits for the project. The project also has been funded partially through the Washington state Department of Commerce and with Spokane County low-income housing grants.

Spokane United Methodist Homes, which does business as Rockwood Retirement Communities, will own the facility. The organization also owns the 38-unit initial phase of Appleway Court, which was built in 2009 at the southeast corner of Appleway Boulevard and Farr Road, next to the Appleway Court II project site.

In a change from earlier plans for Appleway Court II, the project will include a warming kitchen and a large dining area that will serve both phases and physically connect them.

"We worked closely with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and reached an agreement that we could share services between the two buildings and connect them," Curryer says.

The first phase of Appleway Court has a below-cost beauty salon, a computer lab, and a fitness room, all of which will be available to tenants of the second phase, he says.

The city of Spokane Valley has issued building permits to begin work on Appleway Court II.

Kop Construction Co., of Spokane, is the contractor on the project, and ZBA Architecture PS, also of Spokane, designed it. Appleway Court II is scheduled to be ready for residents to move in next year.

Spokane-based nonprofit Community Frameworks, which put the financing package together, is lending its development expertise and is acting as the owner's representative during construction.

Appleway Court II will have 16 one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom units ranging in size from 540 to 690 square feet of living space. All units will be reserved for residents who are at least 62 years old with incomes below 50 percent of the median for Spokane County.

Rockwood Retirement Communities also operates two large market-rate retirement campuses, Rockwood South Hill, at 2903 E. 25th, and Rockwood at Hawthorne, at 101 E. Hawthorne.

Appleway Court and Appleway Court II are Rockwood Retirement Communities' first endeavors in low-income housing.

The Washington State Housing Finance Commission is a self-supporting entity dedicated to improving access to affordable housing and expanding community services.

The commission works with lenders, investors, developers, nonprofits, first-time homebuyers, beginning farmers and ranchers, and energy companies to bring in private investment dollars to benefit families in Washington.