BUENA PARK, CA – Jamboree Housing Corporation announced today the grand opening of Clark Commons, a 70-unit, multifamily property in Buena Park, CA. Located on the site of Buena Park’s former City Yard, a grand opening celebration will be held on Thursday, February 9, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the park adjacent to 8002 Orangethorpe Avenue. Participants include City of Buena Park staff and elected officials as well as representatives from Jamboree and the neighboring Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary School. Interview and photo opportunities are available.
This innovative new affordable housing development is part of a 10-acre site that encompass a neighborhood park and The Parker Collection, 128 solar-powered townhomes and lofts developed by City Ventures. The neighborhood land – purchased from the City – has transformed a previously blighted area that included a blighted retail center, the City’s Public Works Yard, and commercial/industrial property into a focal point of the City of Buena Park’s revitalization initiative.
“It is exciting to see our city’s revitalization efforts become a reality with the opening of Clark Commons,” said Buena Park Mayor, Dr. Elizabeth Swift. “This affordable community was 100% leased the day it opened. The thousands more on the wait list reflect the continuing need for a diversity of quality housing for families in Buena Park and surrounding Orange County. Its proximity to the Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary School has already led to a partnership between Jamboree and the Buena Park School District to help advance the District’s K-6 digital learning initiative and grade-level reading campaign. The “Classrooms without Walls” platform will help move students towards our goal of early learning literacy and provide students with iPads and associated instruction to access the growing universe of online educational materials and experiences.”
The walkable neighborhood is one block from a Metro bus stop and 250 yards from The Source, a major mixed-use retail/entertainment center that will include retail, restaurant, office, and entertainment space as well as a Hilton Hotel. It is also one-half mile from the Buena Park Community Center and key community services. Grocery stores, a pharmacy, and Buena Park Downtown are also nearby. Students may attend Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary School right across the street, and the Buena Park Junior High and Buena Park High School, both about a mile from the neighborhood.
Clark Commons is an affordable workforce housing property that is home to 70 families. Monthly rents range from $535 to $1,280 for households earning 30% to 60% of Orange County’s Area Median Income (AMI). The property includes 11 one-bedroom, 37 two-bedroom, and 22 three-bedroom units in three- and four-story structures built over a concrete podium deck. The entirely smoke-free development features a large community center with laundry, fitness and technology amenities, outdoor dining and play areas, and a community park. The property also includes a 3,000-square-foot community center adjacent to the street, activating the sidewalk to create a pedestrian-friendly experience.
Onsite resident programming provided by Jamboree will be tailored to meet the specific needs of the Clark Commons residents. These services will foster learning, developing a healthy lifestyle, community building, all aimed at enriching the quality of life of residents and the larger community through Jamboree’s community impact initiative. Jamboree’s own programming will be supplemented with services provided by community partners that include: St. Jude’s Hospital, Cal State Fullerton, Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary School, Buena Park High School, the City of Buena Park, the Orange County Health Care Agency, Giving Children Hope, Community Action Partnership of Orange County, and North County Regional Occupation Program (ROP).
“This is the second workforce housing property that we have developed in partnership with the City of Buena Park,” said Laura Archuleta, Jamboree president. “Clark Commons is a state-of-the-art workforce housing development that’s entirely smoke-free to promote healthy living, coupled with special programming and activities for our residents and any Buena Park resident who wants to participate.”
Archuleta underscored that the partnership with the Buena Park School District and Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary School serves as a model for advancing Jamboree’s community impact initiative in other communities throughout California. The community center at Clark Commons provides additional space to students as well as expanded digital connectivity to augment the school’s facilities.
Award-winning Clark Commons apartment homes include energy-efficient appliances, lighting and fixtures. With its sustainable design and operation, the project exceeds California’s Title 24 energy efficiency standards by at least 15 percent. The property is LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) for Homes certified Gold rating. This lowers energy consumption, provides a cost-saving benefit and promotes the health of residents.
Financing for development of the $29.3-million property includes $7.7 million in funds from the City of Buena Park and $18.4 million in tax credit equity invested by Bank of America, which also provided $2.9 million in permanent financing. Danielian Associates provided architectural services. Portrait Construction served as the General Contractor. Summers/Murphy & Partners, Inc. was the landscape architect, CDC Designs was the interior designer, and FPI Management is the property manager.
About Jamboree: Founded in 1990, 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. A leading community development organization, Jamboree is committed to sustaining excellence with high quality affordable housing that benefits the environment, the economy and local communities. It currently has $280 million in affordable housing projects in its development pipeline and a $1.1 billion asset portfolio that includes the development of and/or ownership interest in more than 8,200 homes in more than 88 California communities. Currently, Jamboree’s Community Impact Group offers resident services that foster learning, health and wellness, and community building at 35 Jamboree communities with designated staff at each location. For more information, visit jamboreehousing.com.
About Buena Park: Located in northwest Orange County, Buena Park is a Charter City operating under the Council-Manager form of government. The City has approximately 400 employees with an annual budget of $131.8 million (all funds). Buena Park is located 21 miles southeast of Los Angeles, and is referred to locally as the “Center of the Southland” due to its easy access to both 91 and 5 freeways. With a diverse population of 83,000, Buena Park offers quality residential areas, excellent cultural and recreational facilities, and a stable economy within its 10.3 miles. The strong local economy includes the Entertainment Corridor, which contains a variety of well-known attractions, including Knott’s Berry Farm, Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, several hotels and secured development plans for several more exciting entertainment and lodging venues. In addition, the City has a thriving Auto Center and approximately 100 manufacturing and warehousing companies. Some of the largest employers in the City include Nutrilite, Georgia Pacific, and Leach International.