Construction to Begin in November on New Affordable Housing for Low-Income Families at Pueblo Viejo Villas in Coachella

COACHELLA – Construction will begin in November on affordable housing for low-income families at the northeast intersection of Cesar Chavez (formerly Harrison) and 6th Streets in the City of Coachella. The housing will be 105 apartments.

Pueblo Viejo Villas will include 10 apartments set-aside for households with a family member who has a developmental disability such as autism, epilepsy, Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. The new complex will also feature a small street-facing retail component, well suited for local small businesses needing retail or office space.

A commemorative groundbreaking will be held via Zoom on Monday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. P.S.T.

Situated within the Pueblo Viejo Revitalization Plan and located at what is considered to be a focal point of Coachella’s downtown area, the $47 million development features a three-story building adjacent to 132 parking spaces. The mix will provide 55 two- and three-bedroom rental apartments for families, including one manager’s unit, and 50 one-bedroom rentals. The apartments set-aside for those with a developmentally disabled member include four two-bedroom apartments and six one-bedroom units. Residents will receive a customized menu of onsite services coordinated by Pacific Southwest Community Development Corporation.

Turning the first shovel of dirt.

“The City of Coachella couldn’t be happier with us moving forward on this project which has been years in the making,” Mayor Steven Hernandez said in a prepared statement. “We as a city are dedicated to what Downtown Coachella should be and this is another step towards that vision.”

Chelsea Investment Corp. is leading the development of Pueblo Viejo Villas on behalf of the City of Coachella, who contributed over $9.2 million in funding to make the project feasible.

In July, 2019, Pueblo Viejo Villas was awarded $8.4 million by the State of California’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program, in order to help finance much-needed low-income housing. The AHSC program also awarded $6.5 million to the City of Coachella, SunLine Transit Agency, and CalVans for pedestrian, bicycle and transportation improvements. These improvements include a new bus hub directly adjacent to the housing, as well as bike paths and pedestrian walkways connecting the housing to key destinations in downtown Coachella. Pueblo Viejo Villas will achieve California Zero Net Energy and will be a smoke-free community.

The AHSC grants will help create a new bus hub that will increase mobility options for Coachella Valley residents. With the addition of four buses, SunLine Transit Agency will be able to increase frequency on the fixed route network. . In addition, CalVans will purchase and operate 40 vans for vanpools to connect residents and others in the community to employment centers.

“SunLine Transit is eager about breaking ground on this new transit hub and adding four additional clean air vehicles to our fleet,” said SunLine Transit Agency General Manager/CEO Lauren Skiver. “Building communities is a collaborative effort between public and private partnerships. Our combined work will bring transportation improvements to the local community.”

“I applaud the City of Coachella for their commitment to building affordable housing and appreciate all the partners who have come together on this,” Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia said in a prepared statement. “It is exciting to see construction begin on this project, which was made possible with the support of our California climate investments.”

The 2.5-acre site will include secure storage for 52 bicycles and native and drought tolerant landscaping with trees to provide canopy shading. Structured solar panels will provide shade to many parking spaces.

All rents are significantly discounted from market rate and will remain affordable for at least 55 years for households earning between 30-60 percent of AMI (Area Median Income). AMI for Coachella is currently $64,500 annually for a four-person household.

Rents for the two- and three- bedroom apartments are expected to range from approximately $440 to $980, while rents for one-bedroom units are expected to range from $420 to $700. All apartments include central heating and air, fully-equipped kitchens and window coverings. Common area amenities include a community room, central laundry facilities, and a tot-lot play area.

“Riverside County is proud to be a partner in the development of this housing community, which brings housing, transit, economic development and growth to Coachella’s downtown Pueblo Viejo,” Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said in a prepared statement. “We are very excited to have received climate investment funding for this sustainable project that will improve the environment, as well as the quality of life of the residents of Coachella and the eastern Coachella Valley.”

Other financing mechanisms for Pueblo Viejo Villas include: construction and permanent loans from Citi Community Capital; tax credit equity provided by WNC, Inc.; $1 million in HOME funds administered by the County of Riverside; a $1.1 million Infill Infrastructure Grant from California’s Department of Housing and Community Development; and over $1 million in Community Resource Development funds administered by the California  Department of Developmental Services and the Inland Regional Center.

General contractor for Pueblo Viejo Villas is Emmerson Construction, with project design by The McKinley Associates.

“Chelsea has been building affordable housing in the Coachella Valley since 2013, including our most recent new community for farmworkers and their families at Cesar Chavez Villas,” said Jim Schmid, Founder and CEO of Chelsea Investment Corp., a San Diego-based developer credited with creating more than 11,000 affordable homes in the western region. “With support from local partners like the City of Coachella and the County of Riverside, we hope to continue building affordable housing for low-income families throughout the region.”

The project is scheduled to open in mid-2022. Prospective residents can call to check the interest line for updated information about future leasing (760) 290-7115.

 

About Chelsea Investment Corp.

Since 1984, Chelsea has developed 11,369 units of affordable housing at a cost in excess of $2.5 billion. The firm’s development portfolio includes urban infill, mixed-use, suburban inclusionary, acquisition rehab and rural developments. The company is one of the few fully integrated affordable housing developers in the region that offers turnkey development, general contracting and property/asset management services. For more information, visit www.chelseainvestco.com.

 

 

 

 

Image Sources

  • Pueblo Viejo Villas: City of Coachella