Photo by Sam Yu An aerial view of the Hope VI project at the north end of Frederick, taken in late August, shows the cleared lots. At the bottom is West Seventh Street. At left is North Market Street. At right is North Bentz Street.

For new mom April Clemons, whose West Sixth Street home is in the middle of a construction zone, the mixed-income housing development is a welcome new neighbor and something for her children to grow up with.

For commercial property owner Michelle Martz-Bowles, part owner of the Bentz Street Professional Center, the development across the street is a project that could impact her investment.

For Kevin Lollar, manager of the project and community development director for the Housing Authority of the City of Frederick , the hope of transforming a side of town that had long been a pocket of crime and home to the now-demolished Hanson/Taney public housing complex is alive.

"I think the people in this room want to see the project a success," Lollar said at a public meeting Monday evening.

The gathering of about 75 people gave residents a chance to ask tough questions of the developer although work has already begun on the site at North Bentz and Seventh streets.

HOPE VI is a federal project that replaces and decentralizes low-income housing projects with home and apartment sites throughout a city. Public housing units are mixed with market-rate housing and rental units.

Of the 97 units planned, 55 will be available for purchase. Twelve of those will be affordable with second mortgages owned by the housing authority. Forty-two will be rental units, of which 27 will serve as public housing and 15 will be rented at affordable prices, between $800 and $1,300 per month.

A public-private partnership between the city, housing authority and developer TCG Venezia are working to complete the project.

Developer Joe Venezia explained the changes to the project since 2003, some of which were not well-received by neighbors. Those included lowering the number of home ownership units but raising the number of rental units.

Concerns Monday ranged from the development's impact on parking to the order the work would be completed.

"We're under some guidelines with the state to get those apartment buildings built first," Venezia said.

That worried some in the room who wanted to see home ownership units built and occupied first.

The 10 apartment buildings, which will each house four to six units, will contain affordable and public housing. The housing market would likely dictate when the houses available for purchase will be built, Venezia said.

"I don't know what the markets are going to do," he said. "I don't know what the banks are going to do."

Lollar said the proposal has not changed in the 22 months he has been heading the project. He said the public housing component of the project will be completed by the end of 2009.

The project will include a 10,800-square-foot community center to house educational programs including a Head Start center, Community Agency School Services, CALM mediation center and Cakes for Cause, which teaches bakery and restaurant job skills to youths.

The $36 million project includes a similar development of 36 units at 126 S. Carroll St. An additional 60 apartments in the Hillcrest neighborhood and 23 senior apartments on Motter Avenue are also part of HOPE VI.

Although not all her questions were answered, Martz-Bowles said she came away from the meeting with a better awareness of what was going on across the street from her property.

"We now have a good understanding of who the major players are," she said. "I think Mr. Venezia clearly answered some of the questions and concerns tonight."