Beacon Development Group makes a difference in Judson Terrace Homes residents’ lives

Posted by beacon on Wed, Aug 19, 2020 at 3:54 PM

Awards & Recognition, Beacon, California

Judson Terrace Homes located in San Luis Obispo, CA. Photo by David Lalush Photography.

Earlier this year, Beacon Development Group successfully obtained rental subsidies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for affordable housing residents who were facing a rent increase.

Orest Dolyniuk, development director at Beacon Development Group, led the charge on behalf of residents of Judson Terrace Homes, our affordable housing community in San Luis Obispo, California. He spent the better part of 2019 working with HUD to approve our application for these vouchers, which arrived in January 2020.

“Judson Terrace Homes was the first opportunity we had to pursue an additional rental subsidy, and getting the vouchers and the subsidy for current and future residents is one of the most impactful ways we could assist our residents,” said Orest.

“When the vouchers came through, they were manna from heaven,” said Mary Leizear, a Judson Terraces home resident since 2007. “I was growing increasingly concerned, and I was fairly certain and had nightmares that at some point my rent would go up and I was going to be kicked out.”

Judson Terrace Homes courtyard and community room building. Photo by David Lalush Photography.

The community, originally built in 1970, completed renovations this past January. Improvements included new appliances in the apartments, energy-efficient upgrades, including new windows, and new roofs on all eleven buildings that make up the community.

Beacon Development began planning for the renovation and refinancing of the community in February 2018. The process included obtaining funding by securing tax-exempt bonds and four-percent low income housing tax credits. As part of the refinancing process, rental increases would have impacted the community’s residents if not for the subsidies acquired by Beacon. The refinancing is part of HumanGood’s commitment to preserve the community’s affordability status as originally established when it was built. The renovation project extends Judson Terrace Homes’ affordable housing status another 55 years.

“At times, people think of developers as being solely focused on the financial structure of the deal,” said Cindy Proctor, vice president of Beacon Development Group. “Orest’s tenacity and perseverance for the vouchers reflects the compassion and empathy he and all of the development team possess.”

Ancel Romero, president of HumanGood’s affordable housing, signed the contract with the city of San Luis Obispo’s housing authority for the vouchers, resulting in 92 apartments receiving subsidies.

Rotary Terrace Senior Housing receives Senior Housing News Architecture & Design Awards

Posted by beacon on Fri, Jan 3, 2020 at 11:18 PM

Awards & Recognition, Beacon, California, Senior Housing

Rotary Terrace located in South San Francisco. Photo by Abraham & Paulin Photography.

Rotary Terrace Senior Housing located in South San Francisco, CA. Photo by Abraham & Paulin Photography.

Beacon Development Group is excited to announce that Senior Housing News (SHN) awarded Rotary Terrace Senior Housing as the first-place winner of the sixth Annual SHN Architecture & Design Awards for affordable housing communities.

SHN established the Architecture & Design Awards in 2013 as a way to recognize and celebrate companies utilizing cutting-edge design and innovation to improve the lives of seniors.

Rotary Terrace was among more than 100 communities worldwide vying for the top honors across nine categories which included affordable housing, assisted living, continuing care retirement community (CCRC), hospice, independent living, international, renovation/repositioning, skilled nursing/post-acute care and standalone memory care.

“Winning the SHN design award is a great honor for HumanGood. It reflects our larger organizational commitment to inspire seniors to live their best lives possible regardless of their economic status,” says Cindy Proctor, vice president at Beacon Development Group (BDG), a subsidiary of HumanGood.

Opened in January 2019, this 81-unit senior housing community was developed in partnership with HumanGood Affordable Housing (HGAH) and the South San Francisco Rotary Club. BDG worked closely with HKIT Architects and J.E. Roberts-Obayashi as the General Contractor to create an innovative design.

The design features of this community include comfortable spaces, two-rooftop terraces, a second-floor open-air courtyard and lounge areas. It also has sustainable design features including a solar power system, high-efficiency LED fixtures with sensor controls, EnergyStar appliances and dual-pane energy efficient windows. A fitness center, library and high-speed internet are among the community’s many amenities; and it also houses ground-level office space for the Rotary Club that doubles as a public community space.

Located a quarter mile from a Caltrain station in South San Francisco, CA, this five-story building is a great addition to the city’s downtown redevelopment subarea.

Beacon is Hiring – POSITION NOW CLOSED

Posted by beacon on Thu, Apr 4, 2019 at 3:25 PM

Beacon, California

Beacon Development Group is looking for a Housing Developer in our Pleasanton, California office. This position will report to the Director of Development and will work with a team of staff to develop multiple affordable housing projects. This position is responsible for supporting all aspects of project development from planning to closeout. The scope of this position’s responsibilities may include the following: assessment of community needs; identification and acquisition of appropriate sites; formulation of feasible housing proposals, including development and operating budgets and project schedules; assisting the sponsor in conducting community notification; preparation and review of funding applications; and coordination of internal members of the project development teams and external consultants.

For more information, please see the full job description: Housing Developer CA Region

CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON 2 CALIFORNIA PROJECTS

Posted by beacon on Mon, Dec 31, 2018 at 12:28 PM

Acquisition/Rehab, Beacon, California, Construction

Life’s Garden Renovation Includes a Modernized Exterior Entrance

At the end of October 2018, Life’s Garden community in Sunnyvale, CA completed its $65-million-dollar redevelopment that started in 2016. The renovation touched every aspect of the community from new fixtures and finishes in all units, improved mobility features throughout the property, installation of drought tolerant landscaping, and an expansion of the management office. The 208-unit building was originally constructed in 1974 to serve seniors 62 and older. To continue that mission, the project took additional steps to provide residents the opportunity to age in place on the premise. The property now has improved ADA parking closer to the building, new cane detection curbs at overhead protruding stairs and widened outdoor walkways to accommodate wheelchairs. Due to the scale of the project and the comprehensive renovation, construction occurred over 8 phases requiring the temporary relocation of more than 200 residents.

Life’s Garden grand re-opening is scheduled for January 10, 2019.

Mount Rubidoux Manor Receives a Cheerful Exterior Makeover

And in November 2018, we completed the $36 million, 12 month refinance and rehabilitation of Mt. Rubidoux Manor in Riverside, CA. The renovation includes significant energy upgrades, full building system replacements, upgraded unit finishes and re-energized community and office spaces. Built in 1971, the 188 unit community provides much needed affordable senior housing to the City of Riverside.

More details about the project can be found here.

The grand opening for Mt. Rubidoux is anticipated for March of 2019.

New life brought to Mount Rubidioux Manor

Posted by beacon on Thu, Jul 19, 2018 at 3:51 PM

Acquisition/Rehab, Beacon, California, Construction, Senior Housing

Exterior painting has begun

Mt. Rubidoux Manor, a 188 senior housing facility located in downtown Riverside, CA, is currently undergoing an extensive renovation. It is a 16-story residential building originally built in 1971 by Riverside First Baptist Homes, Inc. under the HUD Section 236 program. The current project is a partnership between HumanGood Affordable Housing and Riverside First Baptist Homes. This strategic partnership allowed the long-term vision and mission of Riverside First Baptist Homes Inc.to be preserved and strengthened with the mission and values of HumanGood Affordable Housing. The project targets seniors at or below 50% and 60% of median income but serves residents at much lower incomes through a HUD Section 8 contract covering 170 units. The building has 135 studio, 52 one-bedroom and 1 two-bedroom units.

The completed rehabilitation will include new unit kitchens, bathrooms, lighting and flooring, ADA upgrades, replacement of all exterior windows and doors, upgrades to both unit and common area heating / cooling systems, full tear down and replacement of roof and insulation, full replacement of supply and waste plumbing, a new energy efficient boiler, the addition of a rooftop photovoltaic system, exterior paint, conversion of an obsolete commercial kitchen to new office space, new community recreation and social service space and other common area upgrades. This is a welcomed rejuvenation for the 45+ year old building that has withstood earthquakes, emergency balcony repairs and a recent residential fire that damaged 13 units.

On June 28th, Walton Construction hosted a taco party for residents to celebrate 50% completion of the project and had over 200 attendees

Funding for the project includes an allocation of Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the California Tax Credit Allocating Committee, tax exempt bonds through Citibank, N.A., tax credit equity from Alliant Capital, City of Riverside HOME funds, a Housing Authority of the City of Riverside redevelopment successor agency loan and Low-Income Weatherization Program incentives. The project team includes Walton Construction and Egan Simon Architects. The expected completion date is November 2018.

New Project Milestones in Northern California – Rotary Miller Ave and Life’s Garden

Posted by beacon on Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 3:36 PM

Beacon, California, Construction, Senior Housing

Members of Beacon Development Group and HumanGood at the groundbreaking.

The Rotarians of South San Francisco and HumanGood were joined by community members, elected officials and the development team to mark the start of construction for Rotary Miller Avenue Senior Housing. The project, an 81-unit new construction development in the heart of South San Francisco, is built on donated land from the city. Rotary Miller Avenue will serve predominately seniors with one-bedroom apartments and create a community focused on aging in place. Construction officially started in July 2017 and the project is expected to be completed in October 2018.

About 30 miles south of the Rotary Miller Avenue, Life’s Garden Apartment in Sunnyvale recently passed it’s 50% completion mark. Construction started in September 2016 to bring a full rehabilitation to the senior serving community originally constructed in 1974. The low-rise 208-unit garden community is composed of 8 inter-connected two-story buildings. To accommodate the scale of the development, the project is divided into 8 phases. At the 50% completion mark, phases 1-4 with 106-units have been renovated and phase 5 with 28-units is currently underway. The project is anticipated to be completed in September 2018.

Housing California: Improving Neighborhood Health

Posted by beacon on Mon, May 1, 2017 at 5:25 PM

Beacon, California

Members of the Beacon Development Group team were active and present at this year’s Housing California Conference in Sacramento. The annual conference held on March 9th – 10th brought together professionals from across the state and nation. Participants engaged in a wide range of topics, including how property management should respond to ICE (immigration) agents and the rights of their residents, displacement policies in Oakland, and tracking progress and the impact of proposed federal tax changes on affordable housing. The conference theme for this year was “Block by Block: Improving Neighborhood Health.”

The conference key note speaker, Dr. Doug Jutte, Executive Director of Building Healthy Places, presented on the intersection of housing and health. Dr. Jutte argued that health happens outside of the doctor’s office and noted that “zip-code is a greater determinate in health than any other factor.” According to Jutte, the United States spends $3.3 trillion a year on health – 80% of the expenses attributed to chronic disease, most of which are prevalent in low-income communities and are preventable. Dr. Jutte’s work focuses on improving the health outcomes through collaborations with community developers. Learn more about the work of Building Health Places here.

Speakers also included National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Diane Yentel and Housing advocate Janny Castillo. The conference had a record setting attendance and featured numerous inspiring speakers and informative sessions on best practices in affordable housing development and operations. The keynote speeches and content from the conference can be found on the Housing California website.

BDG’s Kion Sawney and Chad Wakefield of Overland Pacific Cutler, who is part of the Life’s Garden project team in Sunnyvale, CA

Keynote speaker Dr. Doug Jutte of Building Healthy Places

Financing Secured for Life’s Garden

Posted by beacon on Fri, Sep 23, 2016 at 3:42 PM

California, Occupied Rehabs, Senior Housing

With financing secured, construction kicks off at Beacon Development Group’s largest project to date.

Beacon Development Group (as a subsidiary of Beacon Communities Inc.) is making large advances in California and none is more visible than the recent work being done in the City of Sunnyvale at the Life’s Gardens Community. Starting in early September, the 204-unit community will undergo an extensive renovation that will improve the quality of housing for residents, allowing them to live independently longer. Additionally, the redevelopment will preserve and extend the HAP, ensuring the property’s affordability for decades to come.

On August 30, the project completed the last piece of financing by successfully closing on the $75 million tax credit partnership. This represents Beacon’s largest single development, and the first Low Income Housing Tax Credit financing that Beacon Development has done in California. We are excited about creating a new partnership with Merritt Capital and CitiBank. More importantly we are excited that the mission of serving and providing affordable housing to all populations in need continues as a core Beacon value.

In speaking on the financial closing, Development Director Cindy Proctor said “I cannot begin to convey the amazing expertise of our staff as we navigated the new financing programs and the heavily regulated energy, construction and building process in California.” We have also forged new relationships on the design and development side which includes Branagh Construction and HKIT Architects. The Community is a BCI owned and managed community in partnership with Sunnyvale Life Inc.

The redevelopment of Life’s Gardens is anticipated to be completed by October 2018. The redevelopment process will be divided into (8) phases to minimize disruption to residents. A kick-off meeting was held on August 10^th with the residents and design development team; construction will start September 6, 2016.

Residents at the August 10th kick-off meeting

Beacon’s George Sousou and J.P. Stocco present

Planning Entitlements Approved for Rotary Miller Avenue

Posted by beacon on Mon, Jun 20, 2016 at 12:19 PM

California, Construction, Senior Housing

View of the south facade, along Miller Avenue.

In April, the South San Francisco City Council approved the planning entitlements and finalized the land purchase agreement (land donation) for a new senior housing project on Miller Avenue in the City’s downtown. The project is a five story residential building with 81 units restricted to low and very low income senior households. The ground floor features 1,993 square-feet of community assembly space and contains outdoor courtyards including a roof terrace for the residents. Construction is expected to commence in January 2017 with completion in March of 2018.

Welcome J.P. and Barry!

Posted by beacon on Mon, Jun 8, 2015 at 1:26 PM

Beacon, California, Washington

Beacon Development Group welcomes our newest team members, J.P. and Barry!

J.P. Stocco, Deputy Director of Development, CA Office

J.P. leads Beacon’s California Office, overseeing all aspects of planning and development for projects throughout the State. As a member of the Leadership Team, J.P. jointly manages the development pipeline, supervising staff and projects in development. He possesses over ten years of affordable housing project management experience working on complex publicly funded projects across the United States. Prior to joining Beacon, J.P. served as the Senior Acquisitions, Project & Asset Manager for THC Affordable Housing, Inc. in Washington, DC. In this position he established policies and procedures for an asset management system, completed an extensive permanent supportive housing rehabilitation project and one of the first Passive House energy-efficient buildings, and negotiated a successful joint venture with a national for-profit affordable housing developer. As Principal/Broker for Skyline Realty Advisors in California since 2006, J.P. has gained deep experience in financial modeling, budget analysis, construction services, market analysis and lease-up of multi-family development in California. He holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine. Outside of work J.P. enjoys snow skiing and stand-up paddle boarding with his wife and daughter, and photographing landscapes.

Barry Baker, Senior Housing Developer, WA Office

Barry manages a variety of complex publicly funded projects for clients at Beacon in Washington State. As project manager, he oversees all aspects of development, from feasibility analysis to financial packaging to construction completion and close-out. He brings over two decades of real estate experience to his role at Beacon, having worked in property development, management, finance and software development. Most recently Barry served as Development Officer at Community Development, Inc. in Caldwell, ID, where he managed multi-family affordable housing development projects across the United States. Prior to Community Development, Inc., he invented, brought to market and licensed loan management software for real estate companies and worked as the Director of Finance at Brighton Corporation. At Brighton he was responsible for the sourcing and management of the financing for land holdings and buildings, specializing in big box retail, residential subdivision development, production home building, and office development. Barry holds an MBA from the University of Oregon and a BBA from Pacific Lutheran University. In his free time, Barry enjoys playing soccer, travel and boating.

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