PRM Reaches Important Construction Milestone

Posted by beacon on Tue, May 19, 2015 at 12:18 PM

Construction, Family Housing, Sustainable Buildings, Urban/Mixed Use, Washington

Concrete Footings on the East Building of PRM

As of today, all of the concrete footings for El Centro de la Raza’s Plaza Roberto Maestas (PRM) are poured! The Walsh Construction team has been fortunate to have only a few days of wet weather since work began on April 10^th. This has allowed for quick movement through demolition, excavation and concrete work. It also means we are through the dirt portion of the project with relatively few surprises – a great place to be early on in a large development like PRM!

PRM is an exciting new mixed-use transit oriented community featuring 112 units of affordable housing, a seven classroom expansion for El Centro’s Jose Marti Child Development Center, a multi-cultural community center, neighborhood retail/restaurant space, office space and a central plaza for micro-business, events and enjoyment of the surrounding campus and community. Most of the apartments at PRM will be two- or three-bedrooms to address the critical shortage of affordable family-sized rental housing in the City of Seattle.

Plaza Roberto Maestas will be complete in July 2016. Please visit the project website here for more information.

West Building Festival St Facade Web Edit

West Building Festival Street Facade – Future Neighborhood Retail/Restaurant Space(s)

Casa Kino Featured in Affordable Housing Finance Magazine

Posted by beacon on Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 1:52 PM

Agricultural Workers, Family Housing, Press, Sustainable Buildings, Washington

Washington Developer Continues to Serve Farmworkers

By, Christine Serlin

Central Washington state has a robust agriculture industry, accounting for 20 percent to 25 percent of the region’s total economy.

Farmworkers are a critical part of that economy, handpicking crops, such as asparagus, cherries, and apples. But affordable housing can be scarce in rural areas, and these needed laborers are forced to live in overcrowded or unsafe conditions.

But Yakima, Wash.–based Catholic Charities Housing Services (CCHS) is helping to provide more safe, affordable housing opportunities for farmworkers one project at a time in the seven-county area where it works.

“The need for farmworker housing is acute throughout central Washington,” says CCHS director Bryan Ketcham.

To read the whole article click here.

HACPFC’s Fourth & Pearl Family Housing Breaks Ground

Posted by beacon on Mon, Nov 3, 2014 at 2:56 PM

Agricultural Workers, Construction, Family Housing, Sustainable Buildings, Washington

Housing Authority of the City of Pasco and Franklin County’s vacant Fourth & Pearl site before construction started

Over the summer the Housing Authority of the City of Pasco and Franklin County (HACPFC) broke ground on their newest community located at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Pearl Street in Pasco, WA.

According to Andy Anderson, Executive Director of the HACPFC, “We are eager to bring quality affordable housing to Pasco. The new community, Fourth and Pearl Family Housing, is being developed on land owned by the Housing Authority for more than 60 years. It has stood vacant for more than 40 years, since the former World War II Navy housing was demolished. We are pleased to help the City of Pasco improve one of its gateways to downtown Pasco by building this new community.”

The new 40-unit community is designed to accommodate large families with 24 two-bedroom units, 12 three-bedroom units, and two four-bedroom units. Thirteen apartments will be rented to families who earn less than 40% of area median income (AMI) and twenty-five apartments will be rented to families who earn less than 50% of AMI.

The Housing Authority will market the project to agricultural workers employed in the Pasco community and surrounding areas. Far too often these hardworking families live in dilapidated and substandard housing.

ZBA Architects designed the project and Walker Construction is the general contractor. Beacon is providing development services. Cascade Management, Inc. will be the property manager.

Numerous public and private sources provided funding for the project. Wells Fargo is the construction lender. The Washington State Department of Commerce contributed $5 million from the state Housing Trust Fund. The Washington State Housing Finance Commission provided 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits that the National Equity Fund purchased in exchange for $2.9 million in equity. And the City of Pasco supplied $50,000 of Community Development Block Grant funds to support public infrastructure around the project.

As of September HACPFC was 40% complete on the construction of Fourth and Pearl Family Housing and is looking forward to opening in the spring of 2015!

Fourth & Pearl Family Housing – 40% Complete

Casa Kino Grand Opening

Posted by beacon on Wed, Jul 23, 2014 at 11:50 AM

Agricultural Workers, Family Housing, Project Openings, Sustainable Buildings, Washington

Casa Kino, Quincy, WA

We are proud to announce that Catholic Charities Housing Services recently celebrated the opening of Casa Kino in Quincy, WA. Developed together with Beacon, Casa Kino is an affordable multi-family development consisting of 51 newly constructed 2- and 3-bedroom townhomes for agricultural workers and low-income families earning up to 30%, 40% and 50% percent of the area median income. The development complies with the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard which emphasizes green building techniques. The apartments will save about 50% of the energy usage typical of standard construction through the use of structural Insulated Panels for exterior walls, increased ceiling/roof insulation, efficient windows and advanced sealing techniques in walls and openings. Water usage will also be greatly reduced by low-flow fixtures throughout the units and extensive “xeriscaping” landscaping in the development.

Beacon and CCHS staff members handing out soccer balls to the children at Casa Kino

It has been our privilege to work with Catholic Charities Housing Services of Yakima on this joint collaboration with designer, ZBA Architecture and general contractor, MC Lundgren Construction, Inc., to develop yet another quality affordable housing project for agricultural workers and their families. With a focus on comfort and safety for children on site, the community includes abundant outdoor recreational areas, a computer lab and multimedia center, classrooms and meeting rooms and a community building with centralized laundry and kitchen facilities. CCHS provides extensive services for families and children in the community building at the property.

The project cost $10.5 million and was financed with a tax credit equity investment from National Equity Fund® through the Washington State Housing Finance Commission’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, and funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce Housing Trust Fund and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Enhancement Fund, administered through the City of Quincy.

In celebration of the opening of Casa Kino Beacon staff gifted a soccer, basketball or volleyball to each apartment for kids and families to enjoy together. Paul Purcell, President of Beacon, was then quickly challenged to a soccer match after the festivities wrapped up (he lost!)

Watching the joy from the kids as they received the balls was priceless, as it reminded us what our work in affordable housing is all about – creating stable, safe and happy environments for children to grow and thrive in. Congratulations to Catholic Charities Housing Services on creating another great community for families in Central Washington!

Paul Purcell, President of Beacon, playing soccer with children at Casa Kino

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Topics

PRM Reaches Important Construction Milestone

Casa Kino Featured in Affordable Housing Finance Magazine

Washington Developer Continues to Serve Farmworkers

HACPFC’s Fourth & Pearl Family Housing Breaks Ground

Casa Kino Grand Opening