Phoenix breaks ground on The Moreland, a two-phase affordable apartment redevelopment near downtown Roosevelt Row

A long-planned redevelopment moves into construction

Phoenix officials have broken ground on The Moreland, an affordable housing development planned to replace the former Deck Park Vista apartments near downtown. The site sits near 3rd Street and McDowell Road, on a city-owned parcel that previously held a 56-unit complex that opened in 1992 to house low-income seniors.

The Moreland has been structured as a two-phase buildout. City materials tied to the project describe Phase I as 132 units, while Phase II is expected to add roughly 105 additional units, bringing the overall plan into the mid-200s. Design information released for the project depicts two five-story residential buildings connected to a structured parking component.

What is planned: unit types, services and accessibility

Project descriptions for Phase I indicate apartments ranging from studio to three-bedroom layouts. Amenity and common-space plans cited in city procurement documents and project summaries include resident community rooms and additional indoor spaces intended for day-to-day needs, alongside structured parking and on-site circulation improvements.

• Phase I: 132 apartments, ranging from studios to three bedrooms
• Supportive services planned for residents, including academic and career assistance
• Accessibility elements identified in construction documents include fully accessible units and units with features for residents with hearing or visual impairments

Affordability structure: vouchers and income targeting

Documents associated with the first phase describe the project’s affordability as being supported by a combination of income-restricted units and federally supported rental assistance. City procurement materials for The Moreland I describe 131 units designated under Low-Income Housing Tax Credit structures, paired with project-based Section 8 voucher subsidies, plus one manager unit.

Separately, city reporting on broader housing production has stated that nearly half of new or preserved homes counted under Phoenix’s recent housing progress are aimed at households earning 120% or less of area median income, combining “affordable” and “workforce” classifications.

Timeline and context within Phoenix’s housing pipeline

Construction for The Moreland is expected to run in phases, with project timelines in public materials pointing to work continuing through 2027 for the initial phase. The redevelopment also fits within a multi-year municipal strategy to expand affordable housing production, including the use of federal HOME funds through local programs designed to fill financing gaps in affordable rental development.

The project replaces a lower-density senior complex with a substantially larger residential development intended to serve a broader mix of household types while maintaining affordability through income restrictions and rental assistance mechanisms.

What to watch next

Key next milestones include vertical construction progress for Phase I, finalization and financing steps for Phase II, and implementation of resident services and voucher administration that will determine how the project functions in practice once leasing begins.