The Pearl Apartments
Published Tuesday, April 1, 2025
ABOUT THE PROJECT
- Project Type: Renovation of existing motel property into five buildings with 76 residences for seniors and on-site health care services
- Location: Jackson, MS
- Certification: 2015 NGBS Green Certification – Silver Level (Dec. 2024)
- Website: The Pearl Apartments
Download Full Case Study as PDF
PROJECT TEAM
Builder: Willmeng Construction
Developer: Gulf Coast Housing Partnership and Pearl Street Community Development Corporations (CDC)
Architect: McCarty Architects
General Contractor: Fountain Construction
Engineers: Maxwell Engineering; Edmonds Engineering, Inc.; Williams, Clark, and Morrison, Inc.
Verifier: Tim Hansen, NGBS Green Verifier, 2023 Partner of Excellence, The Green Home Advantage, LLC
VERIFIER VOICE
"The vast majority of our green verification projects are multifamily new construction, so it’s always a treat for us to help bring vacant old buildings back to life. There are lots of great buildings in America that formerly served as schools, offices, hotels and motels that are currently sitting empty and waiting for an imaginative developer to give them a new purpose. Partly due to its tremendous flexibility, NGBS Green is the perfect green program for these adaptive reuse projects."
- Tim Hansen, NGBS Green Verifier, Co-owner, The Green Home Advantage, LLC
Overview
The Pearl Apartments in Jackson, Miss. is a former Holiday Inn where the old motel rooms were converted into studio apartments for senior residents. Through a unique local partnership that addresses affordable housing and health disparities, The Pearl also offers health care services on-site. All five buildings earned the NGBS Green Certification at the Silver level. The moderate rehabilitation project included replacement of lighting, appliances, plumbing fixtures, and HVAC equipment.
Green Features/Practices
Lot Design & Development
- Adaptive reuse of existing motel into four buildings of 55+ studio apartments and one building dedicated to on-site health care in collaboration with Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center
- Located within ½ mile of transit, parks, restaurants, churches, and barber shop
- Native vegetation reduces irrigation demand
Energy and Water Efficiency
- All-electric and energy-efficient kitchen appliances, washers, and dryers
- Equipment and fixture upgrades resulted in a 40% reduction in energy costs and a 40% reduction in water demand
Health & Wellness Features
- Added bathroom ventilation for moisture management
- Zero-VOC paint reduces indoor contaminants that negatively impact health
- On-site health clinic eliminates barriers to health care access
- Fitness center, community room, outdoor courtyard for residents’ health and well-being
Building Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation projects present unique challenges. The historic Jackson Holiday Inn site sat vacant since 2005, covered with trash and debris from years of vandalism and neglect. Originally, a five-story non-historic structure was in front of the two-story historic motel that had to be demolished prior to renovation. Over the years, many historic features of the motel were covered up, which presented challenges to estimating the rehabilitation costs. The kidney-shaped pool proved too cost-prohibitive to repair so it was filled, maintaining the iconic shape, and repurposed as a green space.
Local Housing Partnerships
The Pearl is a Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GChP) Health + Housing development. Developments of this kind are designed to address affordable housing needs and health disparities in the Gulf Coast region.
The development team crafted a funding stack using a mix of public and private funds, as well as state tax credits. Public funding includes low-income housing, historic, and new market tax credits. The project also received HOME funds through City of Jackson and American Rescue Plan funds through Hinds County.
A BETTER PLACE TO CALL HOME
"NGBS Green Certification was required for some of The Pearl funding sources; however, GCHP has always prioritized many of the standards outlined in the NGBS in the neighborhoods we built, including energy efficient appliances, convenient access to public transportation and community resources."
- Ashley Lusk, Communications Director, Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, Inc.