R.D. Olson Construction, an Irvine-based contractor, says it has broken ground on two affordable housing communities in Los Angeles: Anaheim and Walnut in Long Beach valued at $44 million and West Carson Villas in West Carson valued at $40 million. The projects feature ground-up construction and are expected to be completed by Summer 2023.
“With affordable housing becoming an ever-increasing priority in the state of California, R.D. Olson Construction is expanding our multifamily expertise by partnering with two new mission-based developers,” company president Bill Wilhelm said in a Nov. 1 statement. “Like all of our projects, we value getting the details right and choosing the best team to deliver a superior, well-constructed product, that will not only create additional housing options, but also be a resource to the community.”
Anaheim and Walnut is a 207,000 sq. ft. mixed-use development by Bridge Housing, in partnership with the City of Long Beach and the Long Beach Housing Authority, at 1500 East Anaheim St. The 88-unit building includes a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom affordable housing units, some with balconies, for formerly homeless seniors (age 55+) and low-income families that earn between 30% and 60% of AMI.
SVA Architects designed the structure.
The project features four stories of residential apartments over ground-floor commercial space, with a partially wrapped three-story parking structure. The fourth-floor terrace of the parking garage features amenities including a tot lot, exercise equipment, barbecues, seating areas, trellises, community planters and rubber surface flooring. The building’s skin will include a mixture of Hardy plank lap siding and panels, colored three-coat plaster and vertical aluminum decorative fins adding to the design elements.
The contractor also says it is building the shell for a 18,459 sq. ft. community space that will house a Wellness Community Center operated by The Children’s Clinic to provide healthcare for the neighboring community.
Meanwhile, Olsen also has broken ground on West Carson Villas, located at 22801 – 22905 S. Vermont Ave., which is being developed by PATH Ventures, a non-profit affordable housing developer in partnership with the Los Angeles County Development Authority.
KFA Architecture and Placed Interior Design designed this project.
The 111-unit, four-story affordable housing complex features a combination of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans with several ADA compliant units. Amenities include a common room, three conference centers, a yoga flex room, a playground and outdoor seating areas with barbecues. Additionally, the 150,000-square-foot complex includes ground floor parking with 83 parking stalls and 68 bike parking spaces for residents and guests. The project is expected to receive LEED Gold certification, complete with solar hot water panels.
The contractor says it has several other affordable housing projects under construction in Los Angeles including West Terrace, Lamp Lodge, Rose Hill Courts and Chesterfield Apartments. Additional multi-unit projects include Fountain Valley Housing, Fullerton Family Housing and The Curve / Crenshaw.
