Redevelopment plans delayed for 2 of Columbias oldest housing projects

COLUMBIA — As more affordable housing remains a need in the city, plans for two of three major Columbia Housing Authority development projects have been delayed or stalled. A $58 million apartment and townhome complex replacing Columbia’s oldest affordable housing project, Gonzales Gardens, is still under construction five years after demolition of the original property because of an environmental issue. The $88 million redevelopment plans for Allen-Benedict Court, demolished on Harden Street in 2021 after gas leaks, have also been delayed because the housing authority has not secured funding. Despite the delays, Columbia Housing solidified plans for a third affordable…