For more information about California Communities’ affordable housing programs, contact: Michael LaPierre, program manager; phone: (925) 933-9229 ext. 212. For more information about KDF Communities, contact: Ray Harper, principal; phone: (949) 622-1888.

In a model public-private partnership, the City of San Bruno has teamed with KDF Communities and its partner, Citizens Housing Corporation, to develop Village at The Crossing (“the village”), an amenities-enriched senior housing community due for completion in early 2007. Set within San Bruno’s The Crossing, a mixed-use master-planned development on a 20-acre former U.S. Navy facility, the 228-unit project features 159 one-bedroom and 69 two-bedroom apartments designed for seniors at several affordability levels.

Creative Financing Is Key

The village is being financed through a unique blend of private and public sources. These financing sources include tax-exempt bonds issued by the League-sponsored joint powers authority known as the California Statewide Communities Development Authority (or California Communities), low-income housing tax credits, community development block grants, the County of San Mateo’s Home Funds and Housing Endowment and Regional Trust (HEART), and local incentives from the City of San Bruno.

The collaborative effort incorporates feedback from local residents who participated in a series of four focus groups, as well as input from San Bruno Mayor Larry Franzella and the San Bruno City Council. Ray Harper, principal of KDF Communities, said, “The village was designed to meet the needs of seniors in San Bruno and the surrounding area. We listened to what they desired in a community, which went beyond the typical approach to senior living. The responses encouraged us to incorporate a diverse array of services in a completely new form of senior housing that fits San Bruno’s forward-thinking approach to community planning.”

Redevelopment of the former U.S. Navy facility has been a key focus for the City of San Bruno. “Village at The Crossing is a critical component of our redevelopment plan and important to our city’s future,” said Mayor Franzella. “The creativity and quality of the village, as envisioned by KDF Communities, is what the city has been looking for in a viable housing option for local seniors.”

Contributing to neighborhood spirit at the village will be nearly 10,000 square feet of common areas, including an exercise room, kitchen, dining areas, game room, conference facility, computer lab, salon/spa, wellness rooms and classrooms. An expansive front lobby area with a two-story stone fireplace will welcome residents and guests to the Craftsman-style community. The nonprofit Citizens Housing Corporation, a co-managing general partner, will provide such resident services as wellness, fitness and educational programs, as well as arts and crafts, transportation, medical support and nutritional counseling.

Interest is expected to be strong in the new community, considering the growing demand for senior housing in San Mateo County. Applications for the apartments, which are expected to rent from $987 to $1,436 a month, will be available in late 2006. Applicants for subsidized units must meet certain eligibility requirements.

When complete, The Crossing at San Bruno will be a landmark transit-oriented project that will include a 500-room hotel, more than 1,000 units of housing and up to 20,000 square feet of retail. Another key benefit to all future residents of The Crossing is its close proximity to The Shops at Tanforan, a completelyrenovated retail and dining destination.

This article appears in the September 2006 issue of Western City
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