A major housing project in Venice has cleared a big hurdle. On Monday, the Sarasota City Commission voted unanimously to approve allocating $500,000 in federal HOME funds to the Venetian Walk II project. The funds -which are not coming from the city itself- have to be approved by the Sarasota Commission because they run lead in applying for public housing funds, in a consortium along with Sarasota County, Venice and North Port. Venice Housing Authority officials hope to either receive money through a 4 percent tax credit program or a 9 percent tax credit lottery, so it can finally build the $11.6 million, 52-unit complex to replace Grove Terrace, a 50-unit public housing complex demolished in 2009.
