Jamboree Breaks Ground On Courier Place Apartment Homes In Claremont, CA

CLAREMONT, CA – Jamboree Housing Corporation, one of California’s largest active affordable housing developers, announced today the ground breaking of Courier Place Apartment Homes in Claremont, CA on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 from 2:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. This affordably priced, transit-oriented development (TOD) will also be a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified community. Program participants include Mayor Linda Elderkin and City Councilmembers, Jamboree executives as well as lending and construction partnership representatives. Interview and photo opportunities are available.

Laura Archuleta, Jamboree President, says Courier Place represents a development milestone for the company. “This is a very special community for Jamboree and I believe Courier Place will help pioneer a new generation of housing that will be sustainable, affordable and intergenerational,” she said. “Without the partnership with the City of Claremont and the participation of the funding sources that share our vision of Courier Place, we would not be breaking ground for this innovative community. We salute the City of Claremont and all of our partners for helping to transform Courier Place from concept to reality.”

Claremont Mayor Linda Elderkin said Courier Place is a welcomed addition to the city’s housing mix and will provide a much needed affordable housing component to Claremont’s Village Expansion. This former industrial tract adjacent to the downtown area has been transformed into a new shopping and entertainment district. “Claremont is very committed to increasing the availability of affordable housing for our residents and to enhancing the sustainability of our city, and Courier Place contributes to both,” she said. “This new transit-oriented community will be an important asset for our city and its residents.”

Courier Place is being developed on a 3.4-acre infill site that is the former location of the Claremont Courier newspaper. A sustainable apartment community, Courier Place is also Jamboree’s first affordable housing development in the City of Claremont. The three-story, garden-style community will offer apartments for both working families and seniors.

Elderkin said she is especially pleased that the workforce housing apartments will be offered on a priority basis to people who work in Claremont but live elsewhere, thus shortening the length of their commutes and helping the environment by reducing vehicular emissions. Mixing workforce with senior housing is also a big plus for the city because it promotes Claremont’s emphasis on providing quality, affordable housing for people of all ages and income levels. “Our goal is to provide a diversity of housing for everyone who wants to work and live in our city and Courier Place’s intergenerational concept certainly helps us meet that goal,” she said.  Claremont City Manager Jeff Parker points out that the City Council’s 5-0 approval of Courier Place underscores the value of a strong public/private partnership in the development of affordable housing, especially in an infill site surrounded by existing neighborhoods. “Jamboree is an outstanding partner and is going the extra mile in reaching out to our residents, listening intently to what the residents and city staff have to say,” Parker explained. “The company is very responsive and came to the city with the right project in the right place, and with a commitment to get the job done. We are very pleased with what is being built.”

Located at 111 South College Boulevard, Courier Place is a transit-oriented development that is immediately south of the Claremont Transportation Center and less than one-quarter mile from downtown Claremont and the Claremont Colleges. It is also within walking distance of a park, retail, school and community services. Along with the sustainable advantages of its pedestrian-friendly location, Courier Place will offer a high level of energy efficiency and a healthy living environment as a result of its LEED design and construction. This includes ENERGY STAR appliances in each home.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Courier Place also responds to California’s greenhouse gas law SB-375 that requires new residential development to be located near public transportation to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and carbon emissions, a primary ingredient in global warming.

As an intergenerational community, Courier Place will be home to both seniors and working families who earn between 30% to 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The seniors building will feature 38 one-bedroom apartments, an elevator, and recreation space. The family apartments will be encompassed in two buildings and consist of 36 two- and three-bedroom apartments, each with two bathrooms.

“Intergenerational living is based on the idea that the blending of families and seniors builds a community and offers a lifestyle that enhances health and happiness,” says Michael Massie, Jamboree’s Housing Development Manager. “Although intergenerational housing is not a new idea, it is only recently that we have started to see these projects become more popular in California and only a few have been affordable. We are pleased to be the developer that introduces this concept to the City of Claremont and its residents.”

Designed by William Hezmalhalch Architects, Inc., of Santa Ana, CA, Courier Place will also provide residents with convenient laundry facilities and a 3,000 square-foot recreation center with property management offices, a multipurpose room, kitchen, restrooms, and computer lab. Outdoor amenities include a swimming pool, patio dining area with barbecues, and a tot lot.

In its commitment to build healthy communities that provide opportunities and resources for residents to enhance their quality of life, Jamboree’s resident services group, Housing with HEART, will provide free onsite resident services and programs tailored to meet the unique needs of Courier Place’s families and seniors. These programs will be designed to foster learning, health, and community building to enrich daily living.

Financial partners investing in the development of Courier Place include the City of Claremont, Claremont Redevelopment Agency, the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles, the City of Industry, U.S. Bank, and WNC & Associates.

About Claremont, CA: Located 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, Claremont is best known for its tree-lined streets, historic buildings, and acclaimed college campuses. Claremont is a vital, balanced community that provides a wide range of programs and services for all age groups, preserves a full range of housing opportunities, and supports a variety of commercial and industrial centers that provide diverse employment for its residents. Committed to sustainability, the city values protecting the environment while encouraging appropriate development, and respects traditional community values while embracing new ideas. For more information, go to http://www.ci.claremont.ca.us.

About Jamboree: Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Irvine, CA-headquartered Jamboree Housing Corporation is an award- winning, broad-based, nonprofit housing development company that develops, acquires, renovates and manages permanently affordable rental and ownership housing throughout California for working families, seniors and people with special needs. Housing with HEART is a 501(c)(3) organization and Jamboree’s resident services group. A year- long commemoration of Jamboree’s 20th elevates the ripple effect of providing high quality affordable housing that generates more jobs, creates supportive housing for seniors and those with special needs, promotes healthy living and builds stronger communities.

A leading nonprofit developer, Jamboree currently has about $250 million in affordable housing projects in its development pipeline. Its $1 billion asset portfolio includes the development of and/or ownership interest in more than 6,500 homes in more than 64 California communities. Housing with HEART, a 501(c)(3) organization, is Jamboree’s resident services group. Currently, Housing with HEART provides programs and services that foster learning, health and community building at 38 Jamboree communities with designated staff at each location. For more information, go to www.jamboreehousing.com.

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