Neighborhood Foundations, which provides affordable housing opportunities in Newport and Campbell County, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Grand Towers Apartments along with residents of the building on Friday.
Residents of Grand Towers Apartments celebrate the 50th anniversary Friday. The City of Newport proclaimed June 1, Grand Towers Golden Anniversary Day (provided photo).
The Newport Municipal Housing Authority built the 12-story apartment building, which is located on Grand Avenue in Newport between I-471 and Fort Thomas, in 1969.
“The building was built the year I graduated from high school,” said Tom Guidulgi Sr., executive director of Neighborhood Foundations. “It was tallest building in Campbell County for more than 40 years until the South Shore Condominiums were constructed on the Newport riverfront in 2010.”
At a breakfast ceremony on Friday, Neighborhood Foundations recognized several of the residents who have lived in the apartments for more than 30 years, including its oldest resident, who is 98 years old.
At a lunch ceremony in the building’s community room, Newport Vice Mayor Tom Guidulgi Jr. read a proclamation from the city making June 1, 2019, the Grand Tower Golden Anniversary Day in the City of Newport. City Commissioner Frank Peluso joined Guidugli Jr. at the event, sharing some of his experiences at Grand Tower, including visiting the structure when it was under construction in 1969.
Built from funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the structure cost $2.8 million to construct. The structure, which opened to the public in May 1969, initially had 83 one-bedroom apartments and 116 efficiency apartments for seniors.
An old newspaper clipping recognizes the opening of Grand Towers Apartments in 1969.
In 2003, the Newport Housing Authority began a four-year, $8-million renovation of the building, which reduced the number of units in the structure from a total of 196 units to 139 one-bedroom apartments, including 11 units with full handicap accessibility.
In 2015, Neighborhood Foundations spent another $1 million to replace all of the windows in the building.
Residents of Grand Towers must be 55 years or older and meet certain income requirements to qualify for the housing at the facility. Rent is based on a portion of the resident’s annual, adjusted income. The facility offers a variety of ongoing programs, services, and activities.
The mission of Neighborhood Foundations is to provide, develop, and maintain quality, affordable housing opportunities in Newport and Campbell County while revitalizing neighborhoods. The organization provides low-income residents with housing assistance through programs such as Low-Rent Public Housing Apartments and the Housing Choice Voucher Program – Section 8 and is actively involved in neighborhood revitalization efforts.
Neighborhood Foundations
