It was an exciting day not just for MEDA, but for the entire Mission District today. That’s because the celebration of the topping out of an affordable-housing development took place after a decade-long dearth of such units being built in the neighborhood. The ceremonial site was Casa Adelante – 1296 Shotwell, its nine stories now framed out.
Topping out is a builders’ rite, traditionally held when the last — and highest — beam is placed atop a structure during its construction. Such construction, by Cahill Contractors, began on May 1, 2018; despite an unusually wet winter, the project has remained on schedule, bringing to life Herman Coliver Locus Architects’ design, refined at over a dozen community meetings spearheaded by MEDA Senior Project Manager Elaine Yee.
The property, a joint project of MEDA and Chinatown Community Development Center, will offer 94 below-market-rate (BMR) apartments for low-income seniors, who are some of our most vulnerable community members. Area Median Income levels must be at 50 percent or under to be eligible for the City of San Francisco lottery. Additionally, other units will be available subject to referral through the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH). At least one person in each household must be at least 62 year old.
This development was a long time in the making, with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) obtaining the site through a land dedication back in 2013 from the developer of Vida and its adjacent Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – New Mission. The 85-foot-high Casa Adelante – 1296 Shotwell was the first project to use the San Francisco Affordable Housing Bonus Program to achieve a 30 percent increase in density.
Pedestrian safety, security for residents, and amenities that encourage activities for seniors are all part of the innovative design. Such amenities include: laundry facilities; resident services; community room with kitchen; and landscaped outdoor spaces. While there is no parking in the building, the transit-centric development is near public transportation, with the 24th Street BART and Muni bus lines within blocks.
States MEDA Project Manager Serena Li (photo), “It was quite a day seeing Casa Adelante – 1296 Shotwell topped out, and knowing that seniors should be able to move in before the year is out. This is the first of five MEDA new constructions in the Mission, so more ceremonies like this are in the pipeline over the next few years.”
Echoes Rev. Norman Fong, Executive Director of Chinatown Community Development Center, ”I can’t wait until Casa Adelante is completed and the residents move into their new homes. It is very exciting and we are so pleased to partner with MEDA to provide more affordable housing for seniors in the Mission.”
The project is targeted to receive temporary certificate of occupancy in mid-November 2019, with the goal to have new residents move in mid-December 2019.
Applications and information will be available online in August on DAHLIA.
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In addition to parties named in this story, the Casa Adelante – 1296 Shotwell development is also supported by the following invaluable partners: California Community Reinvestment Corporation; California Debt Limit Allocation Committee; California Municipal Finance Authority; California Tax Credit Allocation Committee; Clarke & Soffa; Raymond James Tax Credit Funds Inc.; and Silicon Valley Bank.
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