Stand Corporation, based in Warwick, is doing the restoration at 14 Parkis Ave., in Providence.

The Providence Journal / Connie Grosch

On June 29, developers broke ground for a green-friendly arts and agricultural community in Tiverton.

A Burrillville mill vacant for more than 30 years is being converted into apartments, 75 percent of them affordable housing.

Plans are under way to spruce up a dilapidated West End community and work to renovate three Victorian mansions on Providence’s Parkis Avenue has begun.

These projects and more stalled by various financial problems and especially the collapsing national economy of the last several months have life again.

Rhode Island Housing is distributing $45 million in federal stimulus money through two programs, a tax credit exchange program and a tax credit assistance program.

In the exchange program, the U.S. Treasury Department is buying tax credits that developers earn for building affordable housing. Developers previously used to sell the tax credits to corporate investors, but they could not find buyers or lost their investors when the housing market and economy dropped.

The assistance program helps developers who have some money for their project, but are having trouble getting more. The stimulus money helps fill that gap.

The agency chose nine projects to aid. The end result will be a nearly $300 million investment, the creation of 610 residences and about 1,000 construction-related jobs.

“Rhode Island Housing was quicker than many other states to turn this money around,” said Steve Ostiguy, executive director of Church Community Housing, which is helping to plan the 174-acre arts and agricultural community in Tiverton. “I think there are [some states] that haven’t even figured out how to distribute the money, so I give Rhode Island Housing a lot of credit.”

Church Community Housing exchanged its tax credits for $8.3 million. It had its groundbreaking for Sandywoods Farm in late June.

“In my mind it had should have happened two years ago,” Ostiguy said.

The development in the northeast corner of the town combines affordable housing with a 22-acre working farm and produce market. The residences include 50 rental cottages geared to tenants earning up to 80 percent of the median income of the area and 24 single-family house lots. A studio, gallery and performing art space for artists are also in the plans. All the buildings will be powered by solar and wind energy.

Also derailed last year because of money problems, the Kingstown Crossings project for the homeless in North Kingstown will get a $4.7 million boost. Crossroads Rhode Island plans to built 104 apartments on the agency’s 13-acre site off Devils Foot Road. The first subcontractors’ meeting is Wednesday and the plan is to break ground at the end of the month.

Like Sandywoods Farm and Kingstown Crossings, the developers of Burrillville’s Stillwater Mill redevelopment lost their investors. The project is getting $7.8 million.

NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley is overseeing the renovation of the brick and concrete mill that once made Army uniforms and has been idle for more than 30 years prior to these plans. The $12.5 million project, which includes the town’s new, already completed library, has been in the works for several years.

“We had hoped to close last fall, but the collapse of the economy prevented that from happening,” said Joe Garlick, NeighborWorks executive director. “…We just got approved at the end of June and are moving along in the closing process. We started demolition and we’re under the gun to get the roofs sealed up by the winter.”

Another mill that will be renovated for housing is the Bourne Mill in Tiverton. When the Armory Revival Co., a Providence company, was doing the project in early 2008, it planned a $45-million redevelopment of mill buildings near Cook Pond. The first phase of its project planned to produce 166 units, 40 percent of which will be rented to low-income tenants, but the Armory group has since sold the development to EA Fish Development in Braintree, Mass. More than $7.2 million is coming to the project through the exchange program.

EA Fish is responsible for another project in Newport called Coddington Point. Rhode Island Housing is giving $1.76 million toward the 32-unit project.

Medina Village complex is a cluster of 83 apartments and 22 affordable homes in the West End of Providence. The one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and houses are scattered over five streets between Hanover and Waldo streets.

Rhode Island Housing said Medina Village will receive $1.6 million through the assistance program.

Broad Street Revitalization is another Providence project to receive money. CommunityWorks Rhode Island is renovating buildings at several locations on Broad and Chester streets. With its nearly $7 million, the agency also continued to renovate three urban, Victorian mansions at 14, 43 and 53 Parkis Ave. The mansions will become 22 rental units when finished.

Trinity/Princeton Place will also get financial assistance. It is as a mixed commercial and residential project off Elmwood Avenue in Providence. Rhode Island Housing said Stop Wasting Abandoned Properties Inc., or SWAP, is getting nearly $4.8 million to create 41 units in the area next to Trinity Methodist Church. SWAP executive director Carla Destefano could not be reached for comment Tuesday for more information.

Rhode Island Housing is also distributing more than $2 million for another project called Cartlon/Westside Apartments. Little information regarding the planned 86-unit plan could be gathered by The Journal Tuesday.

apina@projo.com