Dr. Walter G. Alexander Village, Phase I

Walter G. Alexander Court was an obsolete high-rise Public Housing Authority community located in City of Orange Township. Built in 1952, the apartment buildings were notorious for rampant crime, violence, and drugs, and considered one of the most dangerous areas within the local community. Fed up with unrelenting crime and vandalism, the Orange Housing Authority, along with several motivated public stakeholders and private partners, developed a revitalization plan to replace the aging buildings. The site, now known as Dr. Walter G. Alexander Village, is in the Transit Village District East of the City of Orange Township. The surrounding neighborhoods consist predominantly of single-family homes with a sprinkling of small-scale commercial properties, businesses, civic organizations, places of worship, and education facilities.

Thriven Design partnered with the Housing Authority to develop the multi-phased Master Plan, including existing condition assessments and visioning process with public outreach and community involvement. The first phase implemented comprised of four three-story buildings and contained 66 units of affordable multi-family housing with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom configurations. The buildings were designed to fit in with the surrounding neighborhood and the subsequent phases. The first-floor units are handicap accessible and two units are fit out to serve hearing and visually impaired residents. The development also contains a management office suite and on-site parking.