Thomas Safran & Associates has opened Thatcher Yard, an eight building, 98-unit affordable housing community located in Marina del Rey, Calif., in western Los Angeles. The property is the firm’s second project in the unincorporated seaside community.
Thatcher Yard provides affordable and supportive housing for seniors and non-age-restricted residents. Two-thirds of the intergenerational community’s units are earmarked for seniors, and the remaining units are reserved for low-income families. Half of all the units in Thatcher Yard have been reserved for formerly homeless people.
A blend of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units are spread across the community’s two-story buildings. Amenities include a community room, fitness center, outdoor patio, landscaped gardens and semi-subterranean garage.
Overcoming opposition
“Like many affordable housing developments in Los Angeles, Thatcher Yard initially faced significant community opposition, with concerns raised about density, parking, height, traffic, access, security and property management,” Jordan Pynes, TSA president, told Multi-Housing News.
Despite these drawbacks, TSA was undeterred. The team embarked on a multi-year community outreach process that included over 50 meetings, many of them small, in-home gatherings, which together involved over 500 total participants, according to Pynes. Additionally, the company led tours for neighborhood residents of its existing communities to demonstrate the high quality of design and services.
READ ALSO: Opportunity Zones: New and Improved?
In a collaboration with the community, TSA revised the project to blend seamlessly with the adjacent single-family homes, redesigned the townhomes to match the character of the neighborhood and relocated a gate to redirect and minimize neighborhood cut-through traffic. Through this collaborative approach, the project was able to secure letters of strong support from local neighborhood associations that had previously been opposed, Pynes detailed.
Cleanup completed
In addition to the initial community opposition, TSA also was forced to surmount substantial environmental hurdles. Because Thatcher Yard’s site had once been used as a city maintenance yard, extensive landfill debris extending far below the marina’s water table turned up during soil excavation. Consequently, TSA dug to a depth of 24 feet before excavating, treating and hauling away more than 35,000 tons of soil and debris, according to Pynes.
“Constant site dewatering to keep the groundwater out, and careful handling of contaminated soil added to the degree of difficulty,” he continued. “This process took over a year and cost an additional $3.5 million before construction of the buildings could even begin. The team continues to work closely with the city and the California State Water Resources Control board to ensure full compliance.”
The post Thomas Safran Unveils New Affordable Property in SoCal appeared first on Multi-Housing News.
Gillian Executive Search is a leader in Affordable Housing Development, Financing, Design and Construction recruiting. www.gessearch.com