Booth Street housing construction underway

Monday marked the first day of construction for a housing project which is now seven years in the making.    

100 units of federal housing on Booth Street are in the process of being demolished to make room for “Booth Street Townhouses”.

The property will be converted into two phases, with 84 units in each phase. This brings a total of 168 new homes.

Don Bibb, executive director of the Wicomico County Housing Authority, says current residents have been relocated but they have the option to move into the new units.

While this will no longer be considered federal housing, Bibb says current residents can pay the same as they have in the past.

“According to the census track, this is what they consider a heavily concentrated minority community and the purpose behind recreating a new community is to infuse a mixed income leverage back into it so you’ll have a high concentration of minority and poverty.” He explains.

Bibb says he expects the project to be fully completed within 12 to 14 months.