A rainy start to 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly altered the timeline of a $17 million renovation on a blighted Frayser apartment complex.

The first units of the Renaissance at Steele apartments, 3085 Steele St., were supposed to be ready for tenants to move into this month.

First apartments in $17M Frayser renovation available in spring 2020

But with seemingly constant rain and construction slowed due to coronavirus, the timeline for when the first units will be ready has been pushed back at least several months.

Roshun Austin, executive director of The Works Inc., is leading the Renaissance at Steele renovations of 152 units over 6.4 acres in collaboration with Archie Willis of ComCap Partners. The Works is a South Memphis-based community development organization.

Austin is hopeful the renovations will be completed by September, because Frayser — and Memphis — need more affordable quality housing options, which the Renaissance can provide.

“That didn’t disappear with COVID-19,” Austin said of affordable housing. “Actually, it made many more people aware how do you shelter in place if you don’t have a home to do that in.

“A lot of people who don’t have adequate housing, they’re bunking up with other members of families or non-biological family,” she said. “This crisis has brought that out to more people. I think it’s even more critical.”

The $17 million project represents more than half of the $30 million being invested in the Martin Luther King Zone in Frayser.

The MLK Zone is a two-mile radius surrounding MLK College Prep High School at 1530 Dellwood Ave. Renaissance at Steele is located adjacent to MLK Prep, and will give families whose children who attend the school another housing option.

More than $30M in investments committed to MLK Success Zone in Frayser

Other projects in the MLK Zone include a $4.5 million expansion of the Girls Inc. Youth Farm at 1179 and 1199 Dellwood. Construction is also underway for Porter-Leath’s $10.5 million early childhood care center at 3060 Baskin St. near Whitney Avenue.

Girls Inc.’s expansion plan remains in the design phase. Porter-Leath hopes to open its new location sometime in 2021.

Rob Hughes, Porter-Leath vice president of development, said Frayser was an ideal spot for a new site because of its location to nearby schools and because it received strong community support.

“All children, regardless of any income factor or any other factor in life, deserve a quality education,” Hughes said. “From our standpoint, every child deserves a quality early childhood education. We want to make sure the facilities reflect that across the community.”

Porter-Leath plans early childhood academies in Orange Mound, Hickory Hill after Frayser

For the apartment renovations, more than half ($9.5 million) of the $17 million project is funded by low income housing tax credits allocated by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.

The remaining $7.5 million is from a variety of loans including $950,000 from the City of Memphis Housing and Community Development Division.

Through low-income tax credits, The Works will offer below-market rates for tenants making no more than 60% of the area’s median income — a key part of making the units affordable. The Renaissance renovations have a completion deadline of Sept. 30, set by the tax credit investors, Austin said.

Rent on the units will likely range from $450 to $690 per month.

A big setback in construction has been not being able to make much progress on underground electrical work due to the weather, she said.

“We’ve not had a clear week without rain,” she said.

As a precaution against spreading COVID-19, subcontractors at the construction site who show any symptoms, have a high temperature or traveled recently have been asked to self-quarantine.

The Works also plans to have additional space on site for cooking classes, financial literacy courses and homeownership assistance.

ArchInc. designed the project and Montgomery Martin Contractors is the general contractor.

Roshun Austin is on the board of Memphis Fourth Estate Inc., the nonprofit that owns and oversees The Daily Memphian.