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SAN DIEGO-Affirmed Housing Group will host a groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow at 10 a.m. for Solterra, a mixed-use residential development for seniors that will combine unique sustainable initiatives with affordability in a setting adjacent to a growing downtown. The project will be located at 131 and 155 Chambers St. in the El Cajon neighborhood, and the ceremony will be held at 131 Chambers St. Speakers will include Mayor Mark Lewis and Councilmember Bob McClellan, both of the City of El Cajon; Jim Silverwood, president and CEO of AHG; and Alice Carr of JP Morgan/Chase Bank, which provided construction and permanent debt for the project, AHG tells GlobeSt.com.
A housing community for persons 55 and over, Solterra will offer 49 homes including 46 one-bedroom and three two-bedroom homes in two buildings. The residences will offer traditional and modern design elements to complement the style of the surrounding architecture. Residential entry plazas for both buildings are planned to create a welcoming urban front door and courtyard for the homes above.
Other community amenities will include on-site management, a computer lounge, gated and covered parking and a community room. Residents who choose to live a car-free lifestyle will also be able to enjoy a daily shuttle and/or a flex car.
Solterra will also offer residents the convenience of on-site businesses and retailers. Street-level commercial space with awning-shaded storefronts facing Chambers St. and Linda Way will be featured, and tree-lined sidewalks will be widened to 12 ft. on Chambers St. and 10 ft. on Linda Way to be consistent with the City of El Cajon’s focus on creating a walkable community.
“It is rare to find a mixed-use senior development that pairs affordability and sustainability so near a city center,” says Silverwood. “We believe that Solterra brings together many elements that the coming generation of seniors will appreciate.”
Silverwood tells GlobeSt.com that the project is expected to cost $15.2 million and has a slated completion date of Spring 2013. He adds that Allgire General Contractors will handle the construction, while Solari Management Co. will manage the property onsite.
The unique sustainable initiatives that Solterra will offer include a courtyard featuring herbs and roses, Silverwood continues. It will be built to LEED Silver standards and will feature low-VOC paints throughout, onsite irrigation will use recycled water and the community will be pedestrian friendly. Solar panels will line the rooftop, and community-garden plots will be available to all.
“We are looking forward to building the sustainable and innovative community for the ever-growing senior population of San Diego,” Silverwood tells GlobeSt.com. “Being able to provide housing and services under one roof is exceptionally important for this population, and we are excited to be a part of the downtown El Cajon revitalization.”
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Carrie Rossenfeld
Carrie Rossenfeld is a reporter for the San Diego and Orange County markets on GlobeSt.com and a contributor to Real Estate Forum. She was a trade-magazine and newsletter editor in New York City before moving to Southern California to become a freelance writer and editor for magazines, books and websites. Rossenfeld has written extensively on topics including commercial real estate, running a medical practice, intellectual-property licensing and giftware. She has edited books about profiting from real estate and has ghostwritten a book about starting a home-based business.
