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Just Sold: California group buys Eden Prairie senior rentals

California Commercial Investment Group Inc. has paid $6.8 million for the 61-unit Edendale Senior Residence at 16700 Main St. in Eden Prairie.

Ojai’s first new residential development in 10 years leads the way with innovative work-live housing

Proposed development brings shops, apartments —and citizen concerns

With a $1.75-billion commitment from the state budget and more than a dozen new bills in the works, Gov. Gavin Newsom late last year set a goal of building 3.5 million new homes over the next five years—and made a promise to meet California’s housing shortage head-on.

One developer is ready to build 118 apartments in Agoura Hills, but says progress on the project has been slow due to a number of roadblocks in the way.

“Ground zero, Agoura Hills”— as Brian Poliquin of PK architects describes it—is an 18.5-acre planned development at the southeast corner of Agoura and Kanan roads known as The Ave (Agoura Village East).

Retired Tigers Apartments Hosts Open House

Retired Tigers Senior Apartments held an open house Monday to show off the updates to the property.

The open house targeted disabled people and those 62 and older, since those are the people who are qualified to live in the apartments, but anyone was invited to the open house, said property manager Brandon Prater.

The point of the open house was so people can come in to see the improvements the apartment complex has made, as well as what benefits and services they provide for the 82 apartments.

“The property has gone through a lot of changes throughout the last year, year-and-a-half with management, maintenance, the entire staff has been completely revamped and we’ve made a lot of improvements throughout,” said Prater, saying the changes were made due to new management as he’s been property manager for the last 1-1/2 years.

Retired Tigers Take Precautions, Receives Donations For Residents

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — A local apartment complex’s staff are working diligently to keep residents informed and safe during the pandemic while also receiving donations of essential items and services from many in the community.

Retired Tigers Senior Apartments, 320 W. Main St., Warsaw, primarily houses those who are 62 and older and/or disabled of any age. Since older adults fall into the high-risk category for COVID-19, staff members have been taking many precautions to keep residents safe, while also making sure they have essential items.

“We used to have our community room open where we would host Bingo, card games or presentations,” said Melanie McGinnis, Retired Tigers service coordinator. “But that’s now closed off to keep our residents safe.”

Even though Bingo nights are on hold for the time being, McGinnis is making sure residents stay entertained through a variety of means such as making weekly phone calls to check how they’re doing in isolation and putting crosswords on their doors. Property Manager Brandon Prater conducts wellness checks on residents while also working to keep residents informed and calm.

“The residents understand that we’re looking out for their best interests and that everything is going to be fine if we just follow instructions and use common sense,” said Prater. “I’ve gotten several calls from people who just call to say that they appreciate what we’re doing.”

Access to the apartment complex’s food pantry has also slightly changed. Residents now have to call McGinnis for specific items they need from the pantry rather than physically visit.

“We’ve had to make some changes in how we function, but we’re still getting things done that need to get done,” said Prater.

The apartment’s maintenance staff and porter are also disinfecting the building on a daily basis.

“On top of their routine things, they are constantly sanitizing left and right, every day, on cue,” said McGinnis.

Several organizations and people have also donated supplies and services to apartment residents. David Neff, Kosciusko Community Senior Services executive director, has been picking up groceries for residents who order online through Owen’s Supermarket. Before the pandemic, KCSS workers took Retired Tigers residents out twice a week to go shopping.

“They order it online and we go pick it up for them,” said Neff. “But everything we do is to help them. This is a unique situation for everyone but we’re very proud to be a part of this community. Retired Tigers’ staff is doing awesome and excellent work to keep both residents and staff safe through all of this.”

Other organizations and people who have assisted Retired Tigers include Ken Locke, Salvation Army; World Compassion Network; Clunette United Methodist Church; Janet Harrison, REAL Services; Kosciusko Home Care and Hospice; and Scott Clay and Dave Barfell.

Clay and Barfell are community members who donated masks to the residents.

“Every single resident now has a mask because of them,” said McGinnis. “It’s absolutely wonderful.”

“It’s really been amazing because a lot of the people, we haven’t even contacted and asked,” said Prater. “It’s amazing what people are willing to do in the community.”

“I’m really blessed to not only work in this community, but to be able to live here and see how people pull together in times like this,” said McGinnis.

Fairview sells Ebenezer Park Apartments for $24M

Fairview Health Services has sold its Ebenezer Park Apartments to a California investor for $24
million.

The low-income senior housing complex, at 2700 Park Ave., Minneapolis, was built in 1978 and
has 200 units, according to city and county property records. The sale, made public through an
electronic certificate of real estate value, closed on Sept. 18.

1710 on the BLVD – City of Thousand Oaks Annual State of the City Address

Vanguard Profile – Mark Weinstock

There’s some irony here, and it might be most pronounced in California where the housing crunch is so severe that even Silicon Valley companies can be hardpressed to attract and retain employees earning a decent income.

Yet for myriad reasons, the builders say it’s very difficult to develop ground-up, affordable, multifamily complexes in the Golden State and just about anywhere else. Buildable land in desirable locales is at a premium.

Sanford Health

Sanford Health is selling the portfolio of more than 40 affordable housing facilities it acquired through its 2019 merger with Evangelical Lutheran Good
Samaritan Society.

California Commercial Investment Group, a Westlake Village, Calif.-based acquisition, asset management and development firm, has signed a letter of intent to buy the health system’s 42 facilities across 18 states. The deal will close on a rolling, location-by-location basis throughout 2021. The parties did not share the proposed price.

Not-for-profit Sanford disclosed in a recent financial statement that its affordable housing division, which includes 1,700 mostly U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-funded units, loses $1.8 million on operations annually, and selling them will erase $33.6 million worth of debt from its balance sheet. Sanford’s operating income jumped 88% year-overyear to $291 million in 2020. Revenue grew 7% year-over-year to $6.7 billion in 2020.

First renters move in at 1710 on the Blvd

Monday morning’s rainy skies couldn’t damper the spirits of Lou Mellman and Garry Collett.

The co-founders of the company behind 1710 on the Blvd, Thousand Oaks’ first attempt at mixing residential and retail, welcomed the site’s first tenants that day, a full 2.5 years after the so-called “Lupe’s project” broke ground.

“It was magical,” California Commercial Investment Group leasing coordinator Lea Devine said.

DHA’s J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments Rehabilitation Starts!

Durham Housing Authority (DHA) CEO Anthony Scott announced the finalization of the funding for JJ Henderson Senior Apartments Rehabilitation Project on December 31, 2020. JJ Henderson Seniors is one of DHA’s six sites included in DHA Downtown & Neighborhood Plan (“DDNP”). DHA is co-developing the site through its instrumentality, Development Ventures Incorporated, along with its partners California Commercial Investment (CCI) and the Florian Companies (Florian). The $31.2 million project has a 20-months construction schedule starting January 2021.

Located at 807 S. Duke Street and built in 1979, JJ Henderson Senior Apartments consists of 177 dwelling units designated for seniors 62-years or older and disabled. As federal funding for public housing continues to be inadequate, DHA is utilizing the Rental Assistance Demonstration program (RAD) as a tool to improve its affordable housing through public private partnership that will not only renovate the housing community but ensure its long term financial stability.  The renovation work will include HVAC upgrades, energy efficient appliances, a new roof, interior unit renovations and system upgrades. The planned rehabilitation will take place with the residents on site.

CCI and Florian will lead the rehabilitation of the community. With a presence in over 25 states and over 7,000 units under management, CCI is a national housing preservation, management and development firm that specializes in preserving affordable senior communities.  Florian provides local development and design expertise as well as construction management services. Kathie Soroka of Nixon Peabody LLP advised CCI in this transaction.

“The JJ Henderson Renovation is an example of the public-private partnership needed to tackle the affordable housing crisis.  Our partnership includes the City of Durham, CCI, Florian Companies, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, FHA and our LIHTC investor, Hunt Capital Partners LLC”, said Mr. Scott. The City of Durham is providing a critical $2.9 million loan to the project through the City’s Dedicated Affordable Housing Fund.

Mayor Schewel stated, “The City of Durham is pleased to support DHA in the JJ Henderson Rehab; this rehabilitation marks significant progress in the implementation of the Housing Authority’s downtown development plans, and the transformation of our city.”

Garry Collett, Co-President of CCI, explains, “The success of JJ Henderson is a testament to the public/private partnership that the LIHTC program promotes. Being able to leverage private resources for a public cause in a community such as Durham, so that elderly residents can afford to live in the place they love, has been an especially rewarding experience.  We like to call it Conscious Capitalism. We are grateful to DHA, the City, and their staffs for the opportunity to do more work in the community, as well as to all the parties involved for getting us this far. Now, we do the work and deliver change for these residents.”

DHA Board Chairman Daniel Hudgins expressed great excitement about DHA’s commencement of the long awaited DDNP. “This marks the beginning of a focused effort to reposition our housing stock and continue to address the evolving demands for safe and affordable housing in our community.”

For more information, contact CCI at info@ccinvest.com or Jaszver Bauzon of Nixon Peabody LLP at jbauzon@nixonpeabody.com or (212) 224-7602

Source: durhamhousingauthority.org

Hunt Capital, Durham Housing Authority Plan Redevelopment of 177-Unit J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments in North Carolina

DURHAM, N.C. — Hunt Capital Partners, Durham Housing Authority and California Commercial Investment Group Inc. have closed $7.5 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity financing for the acquisition and rehabilitation of J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments in Durham. Hunt Capital Partners facilitated the LIHTC financing through its proprietary fund with Signature Bank called Hunt Capital Partners Tax Credit Fund 39.

The acquisition is a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) transaction, a program administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). By utilizing RAD, Durham Housing Authority gains access to more public and private funding resources to refurbish and preserve the property. Additionally, J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments converts from a public subsidy contract to a long-term Project-Based Rental Assistance Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract.

Situated on 1.8 acres, J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments is an existing public housing property featuring a nine-story residential complex that contains 177 units for seniors 62 and older, or any age if disabled. It is currently 98 percent occupied and has a waiting list of six to 12 months.

This will be the first major rehabilitation of J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments since it was built in 1978. Rehabilitation will include ADA and energy-efficient upgrades in the units and community room, as well as upgrades to the exterior of the building. Work will also include demolition of the one-story auditorium wing of the building.

California Commercial Investment Group and its affiliates are serving as the developer and management agent for the project. Clancy & Theys Construction Co. is the general contractor, and MHAworks is project architect. Construction work is anticipated to begin in April 2021 and is scheduled for completion in December 2022.

When completed, J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments will offer 141 studio and 36 one-bedroom units restricted to senior households earning 30 and 60 percent of the area median income. The unit mix includes nine mobility-impaired units and 18 accessible units for persons with disabilities or homeless populations. Additionally, 133 units at J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments will benefit from a Section 8 HAP contract and 44 will be covered by a HAP contract through HUD’s Section 18 program.

The total development cost for J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments is $31.2 million, of which $12.5 million are hard costs related to renovation. In addition to Hunt’s LIHTC financing, Citibank NA provided a tax-exempt construction bond loan totaling $15.4 million. Orix Real Estate Capital provided a $2.2 million construction loan as well as a HUD 221(d)(4) construction-to-permanent loan amounting to $7.2 million. Other sources include a seller note of $11.7 million and a Durham Housing Authority soft loan of $2.9 million.

Source: rebusinessonline.com

Seniors to relocate while JJ Henderson Housing Center undergoes renovations

Durham, N.C. — Durham Housing Authority says one of its long-standing homes for senior citizens will remain open and residents will remain on site, relocated to different apartments during renovations.

Nearly 200 seniors, 62 years and older, will be moved within from the JJ Henderson Housing Center this month while construction takes place.

The building, at 807 S. Duke Street, consists of 177 units.

The renovation work will include a new roof, interior unit renovations and system upgrades.

The $31.2 million project will take 20 months to complete. It’s one of six sites in DHA’s rehabilitation plans.

Source: wral.com

Agoura Residents Mobilize with Hopes to Scale Down Planned Construction

Three grassroots organizations of Agoura area residents banned together last week in their effort to scale back a huge development planned at the intersection of Kanan and Agoura roads. One hundred-fifty members of SOS (Save Open Spaces), STACK (Save the Agoura Cornell Knoll) and PRISMM (Protectors and Residents of the Santa Monica Mountains) met to organize their efforts in what they called “responsible development.” While trying to preserve the rural charm of their neighborhood, activists said there will be dire consequences that will also affect Malibu if proposed development is approved as-is.

Agoura Village is proposed as a one-million square foot, 135-acre mixed-use development consisting of shops, restaurants, offices, theaters, apartments and a hotel.

BERC Sustainable Business Awards Ceremony and Expo

The Business Environmental Resource Center (BERC) invited the business community and the public to celebrate the recipients of the Annual Sacramento Area Sustainable Business (SB) Awards Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, at the Golden 1 Center.

Grand Re-Opening of JJ Henderson Senior Apartments in Durham

Grand Re-Opening of JJ Henderson Senior Apartments in Durham
Scheduled for Friday, Oct. 28

Renovated Property Revitalizes Affordable Housing for Low-Income Seniors

DURHAM, N.C. – California Commercial Investment Group (CCI), along with Durham Housing Authority (DHA) and the Florian Companies (Florian) is proud to announce the Grand Re-Opening of JJ Henderson Senior Apartments in Durham, North Carolina. The $31.2 million project was completed on time and on budget despite the challenges of historic construction cost increases and an occupied building.

On Friday, October 28 at 10 a.m., DHA, CCI and Florian, along with elected officials, community leaders and other stakeholders will celebrate the completed renovation and Grand Re-Opening of JJ Henderson, an age-restricted, 62-and-older HUD Project-Based Section 8 Property. The ceremony will take place in the newly renovated ground floor lobby.

“The completion of work at JJ Henderson is an incredible milestone for the community as we strive to bridge the gap of available affordable housing in Durham,” said DHA CEO Anthony Scott. “It is the culmination of goals under the Durham Housing Authority Downtown Housing Neighborhood Plan and the support of Durham through the Affordable Housing Bond Program. It embodies the best of public-private partnerships represented by the collaboration of the US Department of Housing & Urban Development, City of Durham, our private development partners, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, and a host of other critical participants. This is the model we desire to duplicate as we continue our mission as a catalyst for affordable housing for all in Durham.”

Located at 807 S. Duke Street and built in 1979, JJ Henderson Senior Apartments consists of 177 units designated for seniors or disabled community members. As federal funding for public housing continues to wane, DHA utilized the Rental Assistance Demonstration program (RAD) as a tool to improve its affordable housing through public private partnership that enabled the financial and physical repositioning of JJ Henderson, a legacy affordable housing tower in the heart of Durham. The renovation work included HVAC upgrades, energy efficient appliances, improvements to interior air quality, a new roof, interior unit renovations and building system upgrades.
The City of Durham provided a $2.9 million loan to the JJ Henderson project through the City’s Dedicated Affordable Housing Fund. The development team also leveraged the federal low-income housing tax credit and HUD-insured debt to bring this renovation to reality.

“From the passing of the affordable housing bond in 2019 to the first meeting of the Affordable Housing Implementation Committee in 2021, and now to the completed renovation of the JJ Henderson apartments, we’re seeing the mission of the Forever Home, Durham initiative fulfilled,” said Reginald Johnson, Director, City of Durham Community Development. “This is the beginning of a long-term transformation in downtown Durham that will dramatically improve the quality of life for low-income seniors and others in need, including those in housing transition.”

CCI and Florian led the JJ Henderson rehabilitation initiative. With a presence in over 25 states and more than 7,000 units under management, CCI is a national housing preservation, management and development firm that specializes in preserving affordable senior communities. Florian provides local development and design expertise as well as construction management services.

“The successful redevelopment of JJ Henderson is a testament to the public/private partnership that the LIHTC program promotes,” said Garry Collett, Co-President of CCI. “Being able to leverage private resources for a public cause in a community such as Durham, so that elderly residents can afford to live in the place they love, has been an especially rewarding experience. We are grateful to DHA, the City of Durham, HUD and all of our other partners for their support in getting this project to completion.”

For more information, contact CCI at info@ccinvest.com

Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Awards

Local business leaders attended the Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Awards on September 21 at Golden 1 Center. The awards, which recognize environmentally proactive businesses, are a program of the Sacramento County Business Environmental Resource Center.

Durham’s affordable housing plan becoming reality with J. J. Henderson re-opening

On a chilly January night nearly three years ago, residents of McDougald Terrace —a public housing neighborhood in Durham —filled city hall to demand better living conditions.
They had evacuated their units after fears of elevated carbon monoxide levels. Alongside supporters, they demanded the city council and Durham Housing Authority do more for the city’s poorest residents.
The city council as well as DHA President Anthony Scott listened to the concerns, and vowed to improve the public housing complexes in the city. Crucially, the council was armed with more than just words to try to make good on those promises. Just a few weeks earlier, Durham voters overwhelmingly approved a $95 million housing bond, and those funds would give Scott some much-needed help.
Now, nearly three years removed from that chilly night, Scott celebrated the re-opening of J.J. Henderson Senior Apartments, the nine-story building just across NC-147 from the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. This was the first of series ofprojects to increase affordable housing to reach completion.
“We never took our eye off of this ball,” Scott said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday. “We continued to work on the developments because we knew that McDougald was really a symptom of thebigger issue. So we knew we couldn’t take our eye off the ball of trying to continue to redevelop our public housing communities because that’s how you avoid a McDougald situation.”
All 177 units at JJ Henderson were renovated while residents continued to live in parts of the building. Bathrooms, kitchens, and floors were upgraded to give each unit a cleaner and more modern look, but those improvements were only half of the $31 millionproject. The other half went to fixing and replacing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, the parts of the building not as readily seen, but more important for upkeep of the structure.”
It’s that behind the scenes work that gets done that really makes sure that you can keep these buildings for 50-plus years,” said Scott.
Virginia Williams has lived in the building since 1999 and has seen a lot of people come and go.
“It’s changed a lot,” she said.
With a lot of turnover, some units had better upkeep than others. Williams says she treated her unit as her home, so it wasn’t in dire straights. But given higher turnover in some other units meant they needed work. One of Williams’ favorite aspects of the locations is that she can see the fireworks from the ballpark across the street.
“I’m TV person, and I love to watch TV. And just about the time a program is getting good, they win the game and here comes the fireworks. Pow pow pow,” she said with a smile. “So I said, well I might as well watch that. And I just cut the lights out, opened the blinds and then watch them.”
This is the first in a string of projects that fall under what DHA called its Downtown and Neighborhood Plan,a joint effort betweenthe Durham Housing Authority and the city of Durham to increase the supply of affordable and workforce housing. Importantly, there’s a mix of income restrictions across the five locations. About a quarter of the new units will be rented at market rates. Another quarter for renters who make between 60% and 80% of area median income.
The development plans also include more than 100,000 square feet for retail and more than 6 acres for new parks.Still, even when all 2,000 units come online, city leaders say they know it won’t satisfy the full need. Even with the financial support from Durham voters, DHA can do only so much with limited funds from the federal government.
“There’s not enough money coming in to support housing authorities,” said Scott.”The issues that DHA faces are what all housing authorities are facing across the country.”

CCI Proudly Announces Repayment of PPP Loan

CCI remained financially solid during the pandemic, not only providing security for it’s employees and residents, but even experiencing significant growth. As a result, the PPP loan that was obtained as a preventative measure ultimately was not needed and CCI decided to return the funds it was awarded. CCI is incredibly proud to maintain its standing as a national company with a resolute commitment to strong ethics and moral responsibility and the repayment of it’s PPP loan is consistent with CCI’s core values.

Downtown Durham Luxury Town Home Makes Significant Impact – Parade of Homes 2023

The Florian Companies (“Florian”) and California Commercial Investment Group, Inc. (“CCI”) are thrilled to announce that our luxury Promenade town home at 745 Willard St. has been awarded a Bronze Medal in the Durham, Orange & Chatham Home Builders Association (HBA) Parade of Homes 2023. This recognition highlights our commitment to maximizing the relationship between natural surroundings and urban walkability with cutting edge design, functionality, and comfort.

Revitalized Northport Senior Apartments Ready to Welcome Residents After Devastating

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Revitalized Northport Senior Apartments Ready to Welcome Residents After Devastating Fire

N. Sioux City, S.D. – California Commercial Investment Group (CCI), in collaboration with South Dakota Housing (SDH), WNC & Associates Inc. (WNC), and the Department of Urban Housing and Development (HUD), is delighted to announce the Grand Re-Opening of Northport Senior Apartments in North Sioux City, South Dakota. Situated at 749 Streeter Drive, Northport offers 21 units designed for seniors aged 62 and older andoperates as a LIHTC Section 8 property.

On the morning of August 10th, 2020, a fire erupted at Northport Senior Apartments following a lightning strike on the roof. Fortunately, all residents were safely evacuated. Despite the fire crews’ two-hour efforts to extinguish the flames, all 21 units were tragically lost.

Facing challenges due to construction cost inflation and inadequate insurance proceeds, CCI took charge of rebuilding the property using the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s RAD for PRAC program, initiated in September 2019, in conjunction with the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). Danielle Hastie, CEO of CCI, highlights, “The financing and reconstruction of this vital senior housing project were made possible by the creative thinking and tenacity of the various organizations we collaborated with—a true public-private partnership effort, and we were thrilled to be a part of it.” Jessica Captanis, WNC Vice President of Originations-West, adds, “WNC is proud to partner with CCI on the rebuild of this stellar project. We especially appreciate that when working with CCI, we enjoy a level of trust that the local community is about to be changed for the better.”

As one of only three affordable senior housing developments in North Sioux City, the restoration of Northport was a top priority for local stakeholders. Former residents, who valued the sense of family fostered by community events, shared meals, and other senior-focused activities, expressed their anticipation for the project’s completion. Chas Olson, SDH Executive Director, notes, “There is no place like home for the holidays, and for Northport residents, that sentiment certainly rings true this holiday season. After lightning destroyed the previous apartments, South Dakota Housing was pleased to contribute to the rebuild by providing Housing Tax Credits to the project.” Despite the displacement and separation of many former residents after the fire, Northport is delighted to welcome back four of its original seniors. Returning resident, Vicki Porter shares, “Finally back in my own space with freedom. I am grateful to be back with old friends and making new friends and getting together with them in the community room.” Another returning Northport resident, Sandra “Sandy” Hilsinger notes, “It’s good to be back home, in a safe place with all of my friends.”

For more information, please contact info@ccinvest.com.

California Commercial buys 19 acres in Woodland Hills for retirement village

California Commercial Investment Group and other investors have paid $30 million for 19 acres in Woodland Hills with plans to build a luxury retirement village.
An affiliate of the Westlake Village-based developer and the unidentified investors bought the land at 23388 Mulholland Drive, on the border of Calabasas, Costar News reRorted. The seller was the locally based Motion Picture & Television Fund.

The deal works out to nearly $1.58 million per acre.

The undeveloped land, owned by the nonprofit fund since 1941, lies south of its 20-acre retirement village and hospital for the entertainment industry in the southwest corner of the San Fernando Valley.

Sacramento Manor completes largest-ever apartment electrification retrofit project

The recent transformation of 260 senior living garden apartments at Sacramento Manor, a sprawling, 10-acre, low-income housing community in South Sacramento, is considered the largest electrification retrofit project of its kind in California.

Except for some finishing touches and pending resident permits, the project is now complete, and Sacramento Manor’s outdated gas-reliant infrastructure has been fltlly replaced, with every apartment running solely on electricity, which saves on energy costs for property owners and residents. Alliance Property Group and California Commercial Investment Group, who both invest in and develop affordable housing properties, worked with Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency to obtain the 62-year-old property early in 2021, eventually bringing in Bright Power to manage the gas-to-electric equipment upgrade.

LCS, California Commercial Investment Co-Developing Community After Land Sale From Motion Picture and Television Fund

A charitable organization that offers assistance to people in the movie and TV industries has sold land to a developer in Los Angeles with plans for a new senior living community.

The Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF) recently sold a 19-acre property on the storied Mulholland Drive to the California Commercial Investment Group for $30 million, as recently reported by L.A. Business First. LCS is serving as co-developer on the project, and Life Care Services will operate it, Senior Housing News has learned.

In an interview with Senior Housing News on Thursday, JLL Managing Director Bryan Lewitt, who represented the Motion Picture and Television Fund in the deal, said the development partners could break ground on the community in 2026 ahead of a 2028 opening…

Motion Picture & Television Fund sells Woodland Hills parcel for luxury senior living community

A luxury senior living community is coming to Woodland Hills, California, adjacent to the Motion Picture & Television Fund campus.

The Motion Picture & Television Fund sold the 19-acre property on Mulholland Drive to developer California Commercial Investment Group for $30 million. The buyer plans to build a 300-unit luxury senior living community.

Set against the backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains and across from Cafabasas Lake, the community will encompass spacious apartment homes, penthouses and villas, ranging from one to three bedrooms. Construction is set to begin 2026, and the project is expected to be complete in 2028…

$30M Deal: Valley Land Trades Hands

A site adjacent to the Motion Picture and Television Fund campus in Woodland Hills recently sold to Westlake Village-based developer California Commercial Investment Group, which plans to transform the parcel into a 300-unit luxury senior living complex.

The 19-acre Mulholland Drive property had long been used as a farm to grow organic fruits and vegetables. The land sold for $30 million.

“This is a great opportunity for a premier developer in California Commercial Investment Group to acquire and develop a much-needed luxury senior living community in a pristine location,” Bryan Lewitt, managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., said.

Lewitt represented the seller, Motion Picture and Television Fund, in the sale. California Commercial Investment Group was represented by Michael Slater of CBRE Group Inc.

“With meticulous planning and foresight, the development of a senior living community on this site will fulfill a crucial community need and establish a modern safe haven for seniors,” Slater said.

The new luxury senior living community, which is being called Livelle Mulholland, will feature a variety of apartment homes, penthouses and villas in various configurations and offer underground or attached garage parking.

According to the community’s website, Livelle Mulholland offers people age 60 and up both independent living residences and access to higher levels of care and wellness services on one campus.

It will also include many shared amenities. Entry fees start at $590,000.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026.

Thousand Oaks Acorn: Work Gets Going at Lupe’s

Developing Martha Zuniga’s old multi-acre sprawl next to Thousand Oaks Boulevard is proving to be more difficult than expected.

The founder of Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant died in 1997, but the land she purchased in the 1940s adjacent to what would become Jungleland remains in the spotlight today due to plans approved in early 2017 to build the city’s first mixed-use development there.

The latest logistical challenge for the builder, who has already designed around a 50-year-old storm drain that bisects the property and navigated scores of protected trees: a barely accessible power line.

Project partner California Commercial Investment Group Inc. filed a request with the city at the start of summer to allow crews to prune four oak trees standing in the way of a utility trench and manufactured slope in the northwest corner of the property.
“They have to relocate the Edison line,” said senior planner Stephen Kearns of the city’s community development department. “Before they can disconnect the lines, they need to reroute it so Vintage Garden (the property’s neighbor) is not without electricity.”

The trees stand in the area near where Lupe’s patio used to sit. The landmark restaurant at 1710 E. T.O. Blvd. closed in 2016 after nearly 70 years in business and Zuniga’s children sold the site to investors, setting the stage for the new development.
CCIG needs permission from the city to work within the protected zone of the trees, which, by law, extends 5 feet beyond the tree’s canopy or 15 feet from the trunk, whichever is greatest.

When any work requiring a tree-related permit is required, the developer’s own tree consultant will be on-site, Kearns said. The city’s tree expert will then make visits to the site to ensure no damage is being done to the tree.

Of particular concern to some Thousand Oaks residents is the city’s 25th anniversary tree, an estimated 400-year-old valley oak that stands in what was the east side of Lupe’s parking lot.

Developers designed around the tree and are planning to build a deck around it where the public can lounge. The anniversary tree, Kearns said, is doing just fine.

The work as approved by the planning commission in February 2017 allows for the removal of 16 coast live oak trees, four that will be cut down and 12 that will be transplanted elsewhere. Four landmark trees, protected due to their species and size, have already been removed.

Any oaks that can’t be transplanted will be replaced at the city’s standard 3-1 ratio. The developer must replace each single tree with two 24-inch boxed trees and one 36-inch boxed tree.

Aside from the need for the encroachment permit, the project appears to be on track, Kearns said, noting that the grading at the rear of the project, nearest the freeway, is ahead of schedule because crews didn’t run into any anticipated bedrock.

The mixed-use development is the first of its kind approved on Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Another, proposed down the street at 299 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., is scheduled to go to the City Council this month.

Plans for the Lupe’s site involve the construction of 36 market-rate apartments and 4,980 square feet of commercial space, which city leaders hope will attract both a restaurant and a cafe/bistro. The buildings will stand three stories high.

Of the 36 apartments, 25 will have two bedrooms, nine will be one-bedroom and two will have three bedrooms, according to current plans. Four of the units will be live-work apartments with a 490-square-foot work area in addition to the standard living area. The design also includes a courtyard and meandering path for use by future tenants and the public.

Thousand Oaks Acorn: Agoura Village East Community Meeting

The Ave, a mixed-use development approved for Agoura Village, received a less than enthusiastic reception during a June 12 community forum in the Agoura Hills Recreation Center, the latest in a series of attempts to convince residents about the need for new commercial and residential growth in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, just south of the city. The development by Gary Collett and Lou Mellman of the California Commercial Investment Group of Westlake Village is one of several mixed-use projects planned for the Agoura Village zone on Agoura Road south of the 101 Freeway between Kanan and Cornell roads at the gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains. The 18.5-acre development comprises 119,000 square feet of commercial area and 118 residential rental units. A three-story, 120-room hotel is also planned.

Residents showed their displeasure when they learned that neither Collett nor Mellman would attend the forum. The Ave developers were instead represented by Brad Rosenheim, who is also point man for Cornerstone, another Agoura Village mixed-use development that was halted May 23 when a judge ruled the 8-acre project needed further environmental review.

Agoura Village developers who have been approved by the city are required to hold two community forums to discuss the scope and impact of their projects, but since The Ave was already underway, the developer needed to only conduct one meeting.

But the glare from large windows at the recreation center last week prevented the crowd from seeing a PowerPoint presentation about the details of The Ave. Rosenheim promised that the slide show would be posted on the city’s website.

When Rosenheim assured everyone that the project team at the meeting would be able to answer all questions during a breakout session at the forum, the crowd bristled and tensions flared. “I am your neighbor and I don’t want to be abused by anyone,” Rosenheim said. “If you don’t like the rules, you should go to the City Council.”

Rosenheim said Agoura Village was envisioned as a city hub where residents could live, dine, shop and be entertained. He said that between the hotel, apartments, shops and offices, The Ave would offer a variety of gathering spaces for residents and visitors. He hinted there would be room for the city to host concerts in a public plaza and there could be a bocce ball court and other recreational opportunities at a hillside knoll that would be preserved.

For Cornerstone to proceed, developers were told to scale back the removal of 29 oak trees in order to meet legal compliance.

At The Ave, 17 of the 21 oak trees that need to be uprooted will be relocated on the site, Rosenheim said. Ten newly planted oak trees on Agoura Road will also be relocated and 67 new oak trees will be planted.

Traffic

It’s expected that the development will add more than 3,000 car trips per day to the already busy Kanan Road-Agoura Road intersection. But according to a developers’ traffic study, only 149 trips during peak morning hours and 263 extra car trips during peak evening hours would be generated.

“I don’t believe the streets will be significantly impacted (and) I don’t believe there is a safety hazard,” Rosenheim said. But it’s a corner that regularly bears the brunt of summer beach traffic from the Valley to T.O.”

David Shender, the developer’s traffic engineer, said when Agoura Village is fully built residents could expect more than 20,000 additional car trips on local roads, spread throughout the day and evening.

“It’s all about the traffic problems because the traffic now is already prohibitive,” said resident Jon Cavanaugh, adding that emergency vehicles could be stuck in traffic during an emergency.

Rosenheim said the environmental review process engages public safety agencies, including the fire and police departments.

Occupancy

Resident Penny Sylvestor asked about the rental price range for the apartments. Rosenheim said all units will be offered at the market rate. Other residents expressed concern about the ability of a hotel to achieve occupancy due to the large number of rooms already available throughout the Conejo Valley.

Rosenheim read written questions. One person wondered about the need for additional office space since many office buildings in the area remain vacant. Rosenheim said the office space in The Ave would be occupied by the developers.

Regarding the housing, Michelle Barbour of Agoura Hills said, “What’s frustrating about this is that three-quarters of (the project) is apartments, with one quarter for residents to use.”

Residents are also worried the decade-old Agoura Village plan already needs revision.

“The Agoura Village concept is outdated,” former Agoura Hills Mayor Joan Yacovone said. “It doesn’t make sense anymore.”

“I truly believe we need to look at all future projects with a new consciousness and a new set of eyes,” said Agoura resident Larry Brown. “It is a different world than it was in the 2000s when this thing was being considered.”

To continue with their project, The Ave developers must submit an environmental impact study that meets the demands of the California Environmental Quality Act.

Big 2/Fox 24: West Texas Food Bank mobile food pantry in full swing, visited Manor Crest Apartments for second time

ODESSA, Texas (BIG 2 / FOX 24) – The West Texas Food Bank is taking advantage of their new mobile food pantry.

On Wednesday, the food bank made a stop at the Manor Crest Apartments. It’s the second time the pantry has made its way to the complex, according to Manor Crest Apartments Service Coordinator Diane Cortez.

“A lot of my residents don’t have transportation or they don’t have any members of the household that can assist them,” said Cortez. The complex houses people over the age of 62 or those who deal with a disability. “It was an awesome opportunity and they chose us,” said Cortez.

It’s a resource the apartment complex knew some residents like Alicia Garcia desperately needed.

“It’s free, just feel privileged that we have this opportunity to enjoy whatever they provide for us,” said Garcia. The ability to reach people in the community is exactly what WTFB intended with their mobile pantry that they received around three months ago. “And we look for pockets of areas either in rural areas or either Midland or Odessa to where we know that there are really hungry people that we need to get to that we haven’t reached yet,” said WTFB Regional Agency and Outreach Manager Greg Clark.

With the ability to deliver, Clark says there’s no shortage of places to travel to. “We’ll be at Cavazos Elementary parking lot Friday morning, so we’re doing distribution out there. Medical Center Hospital on University in West Odessa,” said Clark.

Cortez tells BIG 2 / FOX 24 that the West Texas Food Bank will come to their apartment complex every first Wednesday of the month. For both outreaches, Cortez says more than 100 people turned out to get food.

Pacific Coast Business Times: Mixing it up – Thousand Oaks getting city’s first mixed-use development

Thousand Oaks will soon have its first mixed-use residential project as part of a broader effort to revitalize its downtown area.

“We’re the first project,” said Gary Collett, one of the inves­tors. “We’re setting the tone.”

The 36 market rate apartments will rise in the spot of the for­mer Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant at 1710 Thousand Oaks Blvd. The city’s Planning Commission approved the development, the largest mixed-use residential and commercial project in the city’s history.

The first floor will consist of restaurant space. The developers are hoping for one large restaurant or possibly two small ones within the 5,000 square feet of commercial space.

The apartments will be built on the second and third floors. Most of the apartments will be two bedrooms, and four of them are intended to be “live-work” units, for a pianist or an architect, said developer Vince Daly.

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Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks OKs Project for Former Lupe’s Site

The Thousand Oaks Planning Commission this week approved construction of a mixed-use complex, including apartments, commercial space and outdoor dining areas, at the downtown site of the former Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant.

Lupe’s, a Thousand Oaks mainstay for nearly 70 years, closed in August.

The commission green-lighted the project by applicant Dalygroup Inc. on a 3-1 vote Monday night, with commission Chairman David Newman dissenting. Unless the commission’s decision is appealed to the City Council within 10 days, it will constitute the final approval of the project.

The commission approved a special-use permit to allow construction of two, three-story buildings with 36 apartments on the 5.13-acre site at 1710 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. and nearby parcels. The permit also allows the construction of 4,980 square feet of commercial space, parking areas, public exterior spaces, outdoor dining areas, recreation amenities and associated site improvements.

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Editorial: Thousand Oaks Tackles Housing Blues

We received another gloomy report last week on Ventura County’s economy that cited the usual suspects—lack of jobs, lack of housing and especially lack of housing that people can afford. The Thousand Oaks Planning Commission, however, lifted our spirits this week with approval of some badly needed apartments in its city core.

We have long decried the county’s severe lack of affordable housing. Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources growth-control laws have prevented urban sprawl, but the corollary of that — so-called “infill” development in core urban areas — is often thwarted by NIMBYism, general anti-growth sentiments and weak willed city leaders.

Frankly, we are tired of hearing that people moved here from the San Fernando Valley for a quieter way of life and that building some housing for our kids is going to suddenly turn us into Orange County. Someone, after all, had to build the housing those folks bought. Without more infill units, more and more people are cramming into existing housing — bringing the very parking and traffic problems that so many here fear.

Not surprisingly, we heard some of those fears expressed about the Thousand Oaks project, which will include 36 apartments, 4,980 square feet of commercial space and outdoor dining areas at the site of the former Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant on Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Fortunately, the project by Dalygroup Inc. and California Commercial Investment Group had much support — the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Association called it “not just the applicant’s project, but rather the community’s project” — and it was approved 3-1 by the Planning Commission. If that decision is appealed to the City Council, we urge that the approval be upheld.

The project is not perfect — some oak and sycamore trees must be removed or transplanted — and 36 apartments won’t solve our housing crisis. But it’s a step in the right direction, and it also may jump-start longtime city efforts to revitalize the 3 downtown miles of Thousand Oaks Boulevard between Moorpark Road and Duesenberg Drive.

City leaders for decades have talked about turning the mishmash of office buildings, strip malls and auto-repair shops into a vibrant, pedestrian-filled hub of restaurants, shops and boutique hotels. They finally approved a plan for that in 2011, the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Specific Plan, but the Dalygroup project is actually the first mixed-use proposal to come to the commission or council since then, according to a city staff report.

City leaders say businesses complain that the lack of housing and nightlife makes it difficult to attract young professionals. The specific plan allows a total of 420 new housing units in the area, and the Dalygroup project could be the catalyst for other mixed-use projects to follow suit.

In his gloomy economic talk last week, Matthew Fienup, executive director of the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting at California Lutheran University, talked about all the commute traffic being created here by the lack of affordable housing and high-paying jobs — and how infill development is part of the solution. We applaud Thousand Oaks for recognizing that this week and urge other Ventura County cities to do the same.

Minnesota Snapshot: Hospitality Veterans Buy Rustic Lodge in Orr

During the past decade, real estate veteran Gary Collett has built California Commercial Investment Group Inc. into a company specializing in the acquisition, ownership and management of affordable senior apartment properties, creating a portfolio of about 6,000 units in 60 properties throughout 30 states.

In his company’s latest acquisition, West Falls Apartments LLC has paid Mesa, Arizona-based Roberts Properties $3.55 million for the 80-unit West Falls Apartments. The nine-building complex, which includes townhomes, is at 1641 20th Ave. in International Falls. The Westlake Village, California, buyer closed June 25 on the deal, which included an $888,000 down payment and a new mortgage.

The price works out to $44,375 per unit, a bargain compared to prices in bigger markets. The average sales price per unit for apartments in the Twin Cities metro area is $99,282, according to the Finance and Commerce Apartment Sales Tracker at finance-commerce.com. The tracker has recorded the sales of 23,565 apartment units since Aug. 31, 2011.

“I was over there a week ago, and this was just in wonderful condition,” Collett said. He was impressed with the maintenance man who had been there 20 years and the manager who had been there since it opened 34 years ago.

What drew a southern California executive to the Canadian border town?

A broker in Detroit who knew about his interest in affordable housing brought the property to his attention Collett said. He had owned the 58-unit Heritage House senior apartments in St. Paul for years, so he is used to relying on his staff to handle individual acquisitions.

In this case, Collett, a native of Canada, heard about the property while working at his summer office, a vacation house in Lake of the Woods. “I said,’ I can just drive right over there and take a look at that,'” he said.

 

 

Thousand Oaks Acorn: Mixed Use Proposed at Former Lupe’s Site

A site that had come to represent Thousand Oaks’ past may serve as a window into its future. T.O.-based Daly Group Inc. filed an application with the city this month to build a mixed-use housing development consisting of 36 apartments and three retail spaces in the 1700 block of E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., former home of Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant, which closed in August after 69 years in business.

If approved, the Daly project would be the first of its kind in the city, and the first since the City Council passed the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Specific Plan in 2011 calling for such development. “As soon as I saw it, I thought, “That’s what we’re talking about”, Mayor Joel Price told the Acorn this week. “This is a place where even the developers themselves would want to do business, sit outside in the morning and have coffee or maybe a drink at night.”

The European-style design includes two three-story buildings, one housing apartments and the other incorporating apartments over retail. A meandering path leads from the boulevard to the center of the development. A fountain near the entrance would pay tribute to the Zuniga family, which owned the land and operated Lupe’s from 1947 through August of this year.

The city’s 25th anniversary oak, planted in 1989 when T.O. turned 25, would remain. The Daly Group’s intention is to attract a café and bistro to the property that would serve both tenants and the general public, according to plans. Because Daly is requesting 36 housing units—the number of units that remain of those allocated for that portion of the boulevard under the specific plan—the developer does not need to go before the City Council.

Daly will, however, have to get planning commission approval to address the housing and retail element as well as any trees protected under the city’s recently revised tree ordinance, which says any commercial property owner wishing to remove any oak or landmark tree greater than 24 inches in diameter must go to the commission for approval.

The city is awaiting the developer’s tree report, but Daly has already indicated it would have to remove three sycamore trees adjacent to Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Senior Planner Steve Kearns said in an interview. “One of those trees is just at 24 inches, so that alone would trigger having to go to the planning commission”, he said. Before its date with the commission, Daly Group must first address questions from city staff, Kearns said. “We still have a few concerns we’ve communicated to the developer,” he said, adding that Daly has been quick to respond to questions and any requested changes. “They’ve made changes and added features that show they really want to play by our rules,” Kearns said. One of those features is a sitting area around the 25th anniversary tree, a large oak that stands on the east side of the former Lupe’s parking lot.

Also in design plans: a ground level parking structure for tenants and a parking lot for business patrons, with traffic entering and exiting on Zuniga Ridge Place, which runs between AutoZone and Leslie’s Pools. Those two businesses will remain in place. There will also be an entrance to a drop-off area near the current Lupe’s parking lot entrance. Apartment tenants would have access to a gym, a clubhouse and what Daly is calling a “spool,” a water feature that will be larger than a spa but a smaller than a traditional pool, Kearns said.

In another tribute to Lupe’s, the developers purchased some of the fixtures from the restaurant to use in the space, Kearns said. While there will always be residents who would like to see the city remain how it is, if not revert to the pastoral setting of 50 years ago, Price said, it’s vital to attract millennials and other younger residents who might go for the all-in-one type housing. “It would kill us if we didn’t find ways to bring young people back,” he said. “We need them in the job market; we need their tax money, and our schools need their children.”

One more need, he said, is to get a shovel in the ground. “I’m excited we’re at that point now,” Price said. “I think when people see it, they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s what you’re talking about—it’s beautiful.’” The project has thus far passed muster with the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Association, president Shawn Moradian said. “The beautiful thing about it is Lupe’s was really a pioneer at the time it started . . . and in the same location, now a mixed-use project will take its place and will be the beginning of change for the boulevard,” he said.

Thousand Oaks Acorn: Mixed Use Passes Muster

Work could begin as soon as this summer on a first-of-its-kind development in the city.

On Monday, the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission voted 3-1 in favor of a request to build a three-story mix of residential and retail less than a quarter-mile from the Civic Arts Plaza.

Applicant Vince Daly of Daly Group Inc. said after the Feb. 13 hearing that he would waste no time in starting construction at the site, a 5-acre property on Thousand Oaks Boulevard formerly home to Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant.

“We like to move fast,” Daly said. “Next we go into the construction drawings phase, which can take from three to six months, then we should start construction. Hopefully we’ll build the project in a year from there.”

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Thousand Oaks Acorn Editorial: Thousand Oaks Tackles Housing Blues

We received another gloomy report last week on Ventura County’s economy that cited the usual suspects —lack of jobs, lack of housing and especially lack of housing that people can afford. The Thousand Oaks Planning Commission, however, lifted our spirits this week with approval of some badly needed apartments in its city core.

We have long decried the county’s severe lack of affordable housing. Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources growth-control laws have prevented urban sprawl, but the corollary of that — so-called “infill” development in core urban areas — is often thwarted by NIMBYism, general anti-growth sentiments and weakwilled city leaders.

Read More...

Thousand Oaks Acorn: Trees pose challenge for highly touted mixed-use project

A proposal to build Thousand Oaks Boulevard’s fi rst mixed-use development is scheduled to go before the city’s planning commission next month.

The applicant, T.O.-based Daly Group Inc., is seeking to transform the former home of Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant into a two-building, three-story blend of residential and retail, with 36 apartments and three spaces for businesses. A date with the planning commission is tentatively set for Feb. 13.

Five years after city leaders adopted a new set of design standards and guidelines for the boulevard that included incentives to build mixed use, Daly’s proposal would be the first such project to reach the commission. Previous mixed-use applications—including Rick Principe’s plan for the former Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital site—never made it past the planning stages.

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Ojai Valley News: Pearl Street Project Underway

Dozers and backhoes were busy this week as construction got under wat in Ojai on the long awaited Craftsman Village. We’re digging trenches for plumbing and grading off areas for concrete,” said Aaron Emery, owner of the Santa Clarita-based Emery Construction, the builder contracted for the project. The concrete, he said, would probably be poured by Oct. 13.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Rick Nielsen. “We’re really excited to finally be here.” Nielsen and business partner David Schuman are the principals in Raven Ridge Development, the Westlake Village owners of the forthcoming mixed-use property. Both men were on-site Oct. 12 as the trenches were cut at 611 Pearl St.

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Press Release: Fickett Towers – Renovation of Affordable Housing

California Commercial Investment Group, Inc. (CCI), a California-based national affordable housing preservation and development firm, is proud to announce the Grand Opening of Fickett Towers Senior Apartments in Van Nuys, CA, an age-restricted, 55 and older HUD Project-Based Section 8 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Property.

An important part of Los Angeles’ affordable portfolio since approximately 1972, Fickett Towers was in danger of conversion to a market rate apartment complex, which would have resulted in hundreds of elderly residents losing their homes. The affordability covenants governing the apartment complex were set to expire along with the HAP contract providing rental subsidy to the elderly residents. The property was purchased in 2012 and then refinanced using a tax exempt bond and 4% LIHTCs, with permanent debt via HUD’s 223(f) loan program. The transaction included a long term renewal of the existing rental subsidy contract and the placement of extended use restrictions on the property, ensuring affordable housing to Los Angeles’s elderly and disabled residents for decades to come.

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Press Release: Los Angeles Gardens, CASA Development, and Mariposa Manor – Better Buildings Challenge

Congratulations to California Commercial Investment (CCI) Group for taking the Challenge!

We are proud to have enrolled three of the California Commercial Investment (CCI) Group’s building portfolio into LABBC’s Affordable Housing Initiative (AHI). The addition of Los Angeles Gardens, CASA Development, and Mariposa Manor bring a total of 18 buildings to the program. CCI is interested in implementing energy and water efficiency projects across their units, as well as participation in the LABBC’s Tenant Engagement Platform (TEP).

New Partner Buildings: Los Angeles Gardens, CASA Development, and Mariposa Manor

The City of Los Angeles has set a goal to achieve 20% energy and water savings by 2020 across 30 million square feet of existing buildings as part of the Better Buildings Challenge, a national leadership initiative from the Department of Energy, which calls on public and private sector leaders to demonstrate the benefits of modernizing America’s existing buildings.

 

Affordable Housing News: Pioneer & Peaceful Haven/Fickett Towers – Fulfilling Their Mission

Owner/Operater Makes Best Decisions To Benefit Properties For The Long Term

The oil boom in North Dakota over the past several years has created a high demand for quality affordable housing throughout the state, especially for senior citizens in Dickinson. California Commercial Investment (CCI) Group owner of Pioneer/Peaceful Haven a 106 apartment community has extensively upgraded the property over the past year. The rehabilitation effort will result in 106 affordable senior apartments.

“This is a project-based Section 8 property that we wanted to preserve for the long term,” says Danielle Ohana Hastie, Director of Operations and Asset Management. “Right now in Dickinson, rents are doubling and tripling every year, and you have all these people moving into the state because of the oil boom.”

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Spokesman-Review: California group buys Spokane’s Park Tower Apartments

A California company specializing in owning and managing affordable and low-income housing has purchased the 20-story Park Tower Apartments across from the Spokane Convention Center.

Built in 1973, the Park Tower has 184 units for seniors and disabled residents, most of whom are able to afford rents in the building through federal housing assistance.

The new owner is California Commercial Investments of Westlake Village, Calif. It owns and manages about 50 properties with nearly 5,000 units across the country. It provides affordable housing and conventional housing, said Danielle Hastie, a company spokeswoman.

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Press Release: Pioneer & Peaceful Haven – Renovation of Affordable Housing

Renovated Complex Brings Affordable Housing for North Dakota’s Low Income Seniors

California Commercial Investment (CCI), a California-based national affordable housing preservation and development firm, is proud to announce the Grand Opening of Peaceful- Pioneer Havens Senior Apartments in Dickinson, North Dakota. CCI, along with elected officials, community leaders and other stakeholders will celebrate Peaceful-Pioneer Havens, an age-restricted, 55 and older HUD Project-Based Section 8 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Property.

Peaceful- Pioneer Haven’s grand opening ceremony will take place Friday October 4th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the on-site, newly refurbished community room.

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Poughkeepsie Journal: Lakeview Arms Senior Apartments to get $264,185 Federal Grant

A Town of Poughkeepsie apartment complex for senior citizens and people with disabilities has won a federal grant that helps keep people in their own apartment homes.

The Lakeview Arms Senior Citizens Apartments, a 71-unit complex overlooking Morgan Lake on Creek Road, will get $264,185 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to an announcement from HUD.

The property is owned by the California Commercial Investment Group, which applied for the grant. Scott Heaton, director of the management division of the company, said it would enable the hiring of a full-time service coordinator at the site once the contract is signed.

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Dickinson Press: Renovating Pioneer Haven

The residents of Pioneer Haven have smiles on their faces as new appliances, cabinets, flooring, windows and bathroom fixtures were installed in their apartments.

“We revamped all the apartments from the ground up,” said Scott Heaton, director of the management division. “We’re fully committed to the Dickinson market.”

Pioneer Haven is a 6-acre complex, having 17 residential structures with 106 apartments and a community center. It provides low-income subsidized housing for individuals age 62 years and older.

It is owned by Peaceful Pioneer Parters LP, headquartered in Westlaske Village, Calif.

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Los Angeles Times: Fickett Towers Purchased

A Van Nuys apartment building named after a Navy chaplain was sold for more than $15 million to a provider of affordable housing for the elderly.

Fickett Towers, a 200-unit senior housing complex at 14801 Sherman Way, was acquired by California Commercial Investment Co., real estate broker H. Bruce Hanes of Hanes Investment
Realty Inc. said. The seller was Shepherd of the Hills Church of Porter Ranch.

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Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Vega Place – House Calls Help Seniors Stay Healthy

Medical house calls are a rarity, particularly at Vega Place Senior Apartments, where most of the residents are on Medicare.

That is changing, however, and it could be catching on elsewhere.

Through a new program, partially supported by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, doctors and nurse practitioners are visiting many of the 109 residents at Vega Place, a government-subsidized apartment complex for senior citizens and people disabilities.

It’s called the House Call program, said Ja’net Huling, who dreamed up the idea, which has received a three-year $176,000 HUD grant.

Huling said the goal is to help people “to age in place longer and better.”

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Dickinson Press: Pioneer & Peaceful Havens – Affordable Senior Housing Gets Update

Some of Dickinson’s most vulnerable residents have a remodeled place to live at Peaceful-Pioneer Havens Senior Apartments.

The owners of California Commercial Investment, along with representatives from the state and city governments, celebrated the grand re-opening of the apartments. Friday at the complex’s community center at 1043 Enterprise Ave.

The 106-unit apartment complex is income-based for individuals who are at least 55 years old. The investment company worked with the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency to renovate all units in the complex.

“We’re so proud that we were able to get this community upgraded” said Gary Collett, co-president of California Commercial Investment. “We felt it was time.”

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HUD Homes and Communities: Vega Place – First All-Seniors Complex in Fort Worth Opens Learning Center

Fort Worth Multifamily Hub staff recently joined the property managers and residents of the Vega Place Senior Apartments August 16, in celebrating the grand opening of Fort Worth’s first-ever Neighborhood Networks Learning Center in an “all-seniors” housing complex. The Vega Place Neighborhood Networks Learning Center became the learning and activities center of the one-hundred-plus Section 8-assisted senior citizens living at the complex and the numerous other elderly citizens who will also participate in the activities offered at the center.

The learning center includes a computer center equipped with four stand-alone computers, two lap-top computers, a printer, a scanner and a digital camera, most of which were donated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Fort Worth office. The facility also includes a clothes care center and a club room which is transformed every first and third Tuesday of the month into a grocery store for the Vega Place’s Food Bank program.

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HUD Homes and Communities: Vega Place – Manager Conquers Senior’s Surfing

Fort Worth, TX —”Two and a half years ago, most senior citizens here had never touched a computer. They were totally opposed to bringing ‘those machines’ or a Neighborhood Networks center here,” recalls Ja’net Huling, manager of Vega Place Senior Apartments in Fort Worth, Texas. “It took me over a year to convince residents that computers could bring them lots of benefits—like Internet access to less costly prescriptions. Not only have residents overcome reluctance about using computers, they are really enthusiastic about all the possibilities that computers and the Internet open up to them.”

How did Huling change attitudes? “At our monthly resident meetings, I would bring up a computer-related topic, like using the Internet to find better deals on prescriptions.” Once people understood this, they realized that it would be worth learning some basic computer skills to be able to explore different Web sites. Gradually, she won converts and 100 percent of the residents supported opening a Neighborhood Networks Center at Vega Place. “Residents really like living here, and the center has made life even better.”

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HUD Homes and Communities: Vega Place – The ‘Good Old Days’ Are Back for Fort Worth Seniors

Remember the good old days when doctors often made house calls? Well, for some residents of Fort Worth’s Vega Place Senior Apartments, the good old days are back. Through a program called House Calls, doctors and nurse practitioners are visiting many of the 104 residents at Vega Place, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) subsidized apartment community for senior citizens and people with disabilities. Primary medical services can now be offered in the convenience of the patient’s home.

After being awarded a three-year Service Coordination Grant from HUD totaling $176,000, Ja’net Huling, then Vega Place property manager, began considering better ways to meet the medical needs of residents who were often unable to visit their doctors regularly. After becoming the service coordinator for Vega Place, she formed a unique partnership with a local health care provider, Health Essentials Solutions, Inc., and literally brought the House Calls program in-house. Approximately 90 percent of residents at Vega Place qualify for House Calls.

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HUD Communities: Elderly in Las Vegas Get Free Energy Services

At 96, Rose Vana is the oldest resident of Arthur McCants Manor. She has been living at this complex for 26 years.

Residents of a 115 unit affordable senior housing complex received energy saving weatherization upgrades and other benefits from a free program. Crews installed energy efficient products and weatherization improvements. December 3rd, 2007 was the first day that work started at Arthur McCants Manor.

The whole complex is receiving about $200,000 of free services. The residents received free items and free installation of things like: high efficiency light bulbs, shower heads and faucet aerators; pipe, attic, and wall insulation; window and door caulking; weather stripping; programmable thermostats; air conditioner tune-ups and more.

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Times-Union: Retired Tigers, KCSS Help Warsaw Man Find Home For First Time

Pernell Bailey carefully unlocked his second-level apartment door.

Inside, he proudly and exuberantly opened each cabinet door in his favorite room of his apartment, his kitchen.

After revealing his cabinets fully stocked with food and recently donated dished, he showed off the remaining rooms and discussed his decorating plans. It’s been almost three weeks, but after moving in his couch and table, he’s planning all of the finishing touches.

At 67 years old, and for the first time in his entire life, he has his very own home.

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