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Ybarra Village, An Affordable Housing Development Near Completion, Set to Achieve LEED for Homes Gold Certification

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Ybarra Village, a joint effort by the Cesar Chavez Foundation and New Directions for Veterans (NDVets), is a new affordable housing community development in the West Adams district of Los Angeles. Set to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification, the residential community will feature 64 units as well as on-site social service programs for veterans provided by NDVets. Thirty six units will be reserved for homeless veterans, some with special needs, and 27 will be designated for seniors with a preference for senior veterans.

“The LEED Gold Certification reinforces our commitment to inspiring and transforming communities in a way that promotes sustainability,” said Alfredo Izmajtovich, Executive Vice President of Housing and Economic Development for the Cesar Chavez Foundation. “We are proud to work with New Directions for Veterans in building sustainable and affordable living spaces for veterans in need of housing. We are setting the bar for what can be achieved both individually and community wide.”

Ybarra Village will provide a number of sustainable building methods in order to promote sustainability as well as result in lower utility bills for residents.  Water efficiency will be observed in the properties’ planned landscaping which will include an efficient irrigation system for a variety of drought tolerant plants and tree species that require low water and low maintenance needs, in addition to a shut-off valve, sub-metering for the irrigation system, drip irrigation for 50% of planning beds, timer or controller for each water area, pressure-regulating devices and moisture sensor or rain delay controllers.  In the interior units, water conservation will be achieved by the installation of efficient plumbing fixtures including low flow toilets, shower heads and faucets in both kitchens and bathrooms.  Additionally, all kitchens will have Energy Star dishwashing machines that will use less than 6.0 gallons per cycle.

Energy efficiency will be observed by a number of practices including the use of a high efficiency HVAC system, light fixtures and the use of rooftop solar water photovoltaic panels which will produce solar thermal panels which will pre-heat water for the domestic hot water system.  Energy efficient washing and drying machines will be installed in the laundry rooms.  The units which also include energy efficiency appliances including refrigerators, dishwashers and stoves.

There are a number of areas designated for residents’ use including two ample outdoor courtyards with tables and benches and a barbeque grill for group gatherings or individual use to encourage residents to spend time outdoors.  Additionally, the property includes a large community room, leasing office and office spaces for case management and resident services staff.   Ybarra Village will provide 53 parking spaces for resident use and service staff and a number of electric vehicle “EV- ready” chargers as well as 64 resident bicycle parking racks.

The property’s location is centrally located in the West Adams district of Los Angeles.  The amenity-rich neighborhood is within walking distance of grocery stores, shops, restaurants, schools and public transportation including Metro Buses and the Expo Line.

New residents will receive basic operations and training including a one-hour walkthrough of all features within their units so they can learn about the new sustainable LEED building and the many environmental benefits of Ybarra Village.

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Grand Opening of LA Plaza Village in Downtown Los Angeles

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Trammell Crow Company (TCC), its subsidiary High Street Residential, the Cesar Chavez Foundation and Principal Real Estate Investors, in a public-private partnership with LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Museum and the County of Los Angeles, are pleased to announce the grand opening of LA Plaza Village. The new destination, which is inspired by a modern interpretation of a Mexican hillside town, features 355 apartments, 20 percent of which are affordable housing units, 43,000 square feet of retail space and several public open spaces. The grand opening celebration will take place on Thursday, September 12th, while resident move-ins began earlier this year.

LA Plaza Village spans a total of 425,000 square feet across two full city blocks and includes four buildings that range from five to eight stories. In addition to nearly an acre of public open space, a pedestrian paseo lined with landscaping and retail shops passes through the development, linking LA Plaza Village to the Fort Moore Memorial, Olvera Street and Union Station. At the mouth of the paseo is a symbol of the unifying theme of the project, a specimen Sycamore tree, inspired by the historic El Aliso tree that stood in the Los Angeles basin for centuries.

“LA Plaza Village is as much about connectivity and open space for the public as it is about a needed supply of market rate and affordable residential apartments. The project, with its 43,000 square feet of retail space and pedestrian paseo, was designed to bring people together and honor the history of this neighborhood and the vitality of the Mexican-American traditions that LA Plaza Village is a part of,” said Brad Cox of Trammell Crow Company. “A tremendous amount of thought and research went into this project from a cultural perspective and it’s our hope that LA Plaza Village becomes another symbol of the vibrant blend of culture and history that makes up this area of Downtown LA.”

In addition to retail, the project includes more than 70 units of affordable housing.

“We’re proud to work with High Street Residential to bring much-needed affordable housing to moderate and low-income residents in Los Angeles,” said Alfredo Izmajtovich, Executive Vice President of the Cesar Chavez Foundation. “This community, 20 percent of which is affordable, brings comfortable, aesthetically appealing homes with high-quality amenities to residents that need them most, enabling underserved communities to succeed on all fronts. It is the first of many similar projects that our foundation is undertaking as a long-term effort to build wealth and lasting change in our communities.”

The Cesar Chavez Foundation is moving its 4,000-square-foot headquarters to LA Plaza Village early next year.

Johnson Fain, whose headquarters is blocks from the project, served as architect.

“As designers, we were inspired by both the profound modern tradition of Mexican Modernism and the present-day vitality of the Mexican American communities in our midst,” said Scott Johnson, a design partner at Johnson Fain. “Vibrant colors, lush plantings, tiled paving, and spirited graphics come together to celebrate LA Plaza in the heart of Los Angeles.”

In addition to new residents, restaurateurs and retailers, LA Plaza Village is also home to LA Plaza Cocina, a 2,700-square-foot museum, retail space and teaching kitchen that is a project of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, an institution dedicated to the culture of the Mexican-American experience in Los Angeles.

“LA Plaza Village marks the fulfillment of another major milestone for our organization that began in 2011 with the opening of our museum and will continue with the opening of our Historic Paseo Walkway in 2019 and Cocina in 2020.  These projects have helped spark a new cultural and economic revival in the historic heart of downtown,” said Lupe de la Cruz III, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Board Chair. “We especially thank our founder and former LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina for her vision and leadership and our partners, Trammell Crow Company and the Cesar Chavez Foundation, for making that dream a reality.”

LA Plaza Village also features one-of-a-kind murals curated by four local artists – Judithe Hernandez, Miguel Angel Reyes, Jose Lozano and Barbara Carrasco – each with their own voice and designs that celebrate the Mexican-American experience.  The developer collaborated with public art agency Now Art LA with hopes to ignite a new mural corridor along Broadway Street.

“We were honored to be a part of this project showcasing Los Angeles based Mexican American artists who have made an important cultural impact and contribution to our City,” said Carmen Zella of Now Art. “The artists who were selected thought carefully about their designs to create a visual story along the corridor of Broadway, transforming this passage into a cultural landmark.”

Over the course of LA Plaza Village’s four-year construction period, the project has employed more than 3,400 employees, including nearly 1,000 local area workers, and 671 apprentices, including 218 local apprentices. The general contractor is Morley Builders.

The High Street Residential and Trammell Crow Company team involved in this project included Brad Cox, Greg Ames, Christina Lee, Doreen Liou, Clyde Wright, Carlos Diaz, Abbey Ehman and Alex Valente.

A CBRE team lead by Derrick Moore is leasing the development’s retail space, which includes a number of shops, restaurants and a neighborhood serving drugstore.

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Cesar Chavez Foundation to break ground on high-quality affordable housing community in Austin, TX

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Cesar Chavez Foundation to break ground on high-quality affordable housing community in Austin named for the late Texas legislator Lena Guerrero

Foundation President Paul Chavez, Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk to speak at August 30 event

Austin, TX (August 27, 2019) – The Cesar Chavez Foundation (CCF) is holding a groundbreaking ceremony on August 30 at 10:00 a.m. for a new affordable housing community in Austin. Los Portales de Lena Guerrero, named for former community activist and railroad commissioner Lena Guerrero, will feature 97 units of affordable housing for families including four permanent supportive units for transitional-aged youth.

“We’re pleased to break ground on our second affordable housing community in Austin to address the needs of Latinos and working families. It’s fitting to name this property after Lena Guerrero, a positive force in the community who fought tirelessly for farmworkers and the disenfranchised,” said Paul Chavez, President, Cesar Chavez Foundation. “She embodied the values of our organization’s founder, civil rights and farm labor leader Cesar Chavez.”

The community will house a Si Se Puede Learning Center, CCF’s flagship afterschool program available to young residents. The property will feature a picnic area, playground and multi-use community space as well as provide housing and resources for transitional-aged youth in the Austin area.

The property is named after Lena Guerrero, whose work championed the rights of farmworkers. She was the second female Hispanic elected to the Texas Legislature where she was known as one of the state’s most effective lawmakers. In 1991, she became the first woman and first Hispanic to serve on the Railroad Commission of Texas where she led the effort to help independent oil and gas producers increase production in Texas at a time when the industry was struggling, and was a strong advocate for the use of alternative fuels.

 

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Cesar Chavez Foundation breaks ground on new high-quality affordable housing community

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Cesar Chavez Foundation breaks ground on new high-quality affordable housing community in Fresno for low-income intergenerational families

June 20 celebration features speaking program with Foundation President Paul Chavez, District 3 representative for Fresno Board of Supervisors Sal Quintero, and son of Sal Gonzales Sr.

FRESNO, CA (June 19, 2018) – The Cesar Chavez Foundation is holding a groundbreaking ceremony for Las Palmas de Sal Gonzales, Sr., a new intergenerational affordable housing community in southeast Fresno on June 20. This new residential community will feature 135 units of affordable housing.

“We’re pleased to break ground on our fifth affordable housing community in Fresno,” said Paul Chavez, President, Cesar Chavez Foundation. “In addition providing families and seniors with high-quality housing, the property will also include an afterschool program for young residents and programs for seniors.”

Eighty-nine units at Las Palmas de Sal Gonzales, Sr. will be designated for low income families and an additional 46 units for low income seniors. The buildings will include a computer lab, recreational room, community kitchen, patio courtyard, picnic area, garden area, child activity area, two multipurpose rooms, a library and senior activity area.

The property will house a Si Se Puede Learning Center, CCF’s flagship afterschool program available to young residents, as well as a Si Se Puede Senior Center that enables resident seniors to be active both mentally and physically and empower them to develop joyful, healthful and meaningful lives.

The project was funded primarily through California’s cap and trade program – one of the largest amounts given out in California. It received federal tax credits, state tax credits, tax exempt bonds proceeds and assistance from the City of Fresno. Las Palmas de Sal Gonzales, Sr. will be an energy efficient property with walk paths, bike paths, improved crosswalks and street lighting to better connect residents to four new bus rapid transit stops along the Kings Canyon corridor, linking residents and riders to major retail, social services, education and employment opportunities.

The property is named for Sal Gonzales, Sr. a farmworker and delegate at the United Farm Workers (UFW) Founding Convention in 1962. He supported Cesar Chavez, the UFW and union strikes including the Delano grape walkouts. Sal was very active in politics and aided farm worker lobbying efforts in Sacramento. He was the director of an anti-poverty program called West Side Planning which assisted small Latino family farmers.

Who: CCF President Paul F. Chavez, COO Manuel Bernal, EVP of Housing and Economic Development Alfredo Izmajtovich, District 3 representative for Fresno Board of Supervisors Sal Quintero and Sal Gonzales (son of Sal Gonzales, Sr.)

What: Groundbreaking of Las Palmas de Sal Gonzales, Sr., a new 135 unit affordable housing community

When: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.

Where: 5070 E Kings Canyon Road, Fresno, CA 93727 (drop off location)