RCD Breaks Ground on Affordable Seniors Community

By Jessica Fiur, News Editor

Oakland, Calif.—Developer Resources for Community Development (RCD) of Berkeley, Calif., and architect KTGY Group Inc. have broken ground on an affordable seniors community in Contra Costa County, Calif. The community, called Berrellesa Palms, will provide housing for seniors with chronic medical conditions.

Berrellesa Palms will feature 48 one-bedroom apartments to seniors aged 62 and older. RCD has developed the community to represent an “aging-in-place” model of affordable housing for seniors who wish to live independently.

The community will include a meeting/community room, library, computer center, fitness room, laundry facilities, a landscaped patio, a courtyard garden and raised planting beds for resident gardening.

On-site services will be provided by Jewish Family & Children’s Services, an organization that provides social services to seniors in the East Bay area. Additionally, Contra Costa County Aging and Adult Services Bureau will provide in-home supportive services. RCD will also provide educational workshops and social events for residents.

Berrellesa Palms is located near transportation options, shopping and entertainment. The community is also walkable.

“It is always a pleasure to see a project begin construction and knowing the collective effort required by the City of Martinez, the community and RCD, the Berrellesa Palms is particularly satisfying,” KTGY’s Michael Gould, a principal based in the firm’s Oakland office, tells MHN. “Throughout the design process, input from the city and community continued to shape and improve the design to allow the project to fit comfortably within the community. And with RCD’s long-hold business model the design is able to incorporate a level of quality within the finishes and details that will benefit the project and community for many years to come.”

Construction is expected to be completed in June 2014, and rental applications will be available in the fall of 2013.