Wrights Block affordable housing project begins in Holyoke

New at 5:30. Today was a groundbreaking ceremony for new affordable housing in Holio. >> 22 News reporter Aretta Oda joins us live in studio with the timeline of the project. >> Nick Ansara, the president of Urbanist Development, tells me that this has been seven years in the making to put this all together and bring the north end of Holio back to life. Writes block will be 19 units with a mix of one to two bedrooms, four storefronts, and it's mixed income. The developer says the key is they wanted to keep the essence of the building by not completely knocking it down but adding modern building codes to what's already there and the community came out to celebrate. >> So it died a thousand deaths and bringing a building like this back to life is absolutely insane. Um the economics are all upside down. So it requires tremendous support from the state, from the city. >> Thank you. This project costs $8 million with the city giving urbanists a start with some money and then state funding to follow. It's right at 106120 High Street above businesses like Camella's Cafe. With today being the official groundbreaking, the estimated timeline for completion of Wright's block is summer of 2027. working for you. Ortha Odia, 22 News.