El Cerrito Affordable Housing Set to Begin Construction

EL CERRITO, CA — A new 63-unit senior affordable housing development will begin construction soon in El Cerrito.

Hana Gardens will be a four-story, mixed-use housing community with 2,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space suitable for a restaurant or retail use. The development is located at 10860 San Pablo Ave.

First up - demolition of the former Tradeway Furniture store is underway.

Construction of Hana Gardens by Eden Housing is expected to take 17 months with leasing to begin in summer 2018.

“Eden is excited to partner with the City of El Cerrito in building affordable apartment homes for lowincome
seniors. We commend the City for its leadership to help us meet the incredible demand for senior housing,” said Eden Housing President Linda Mandolini. “After many years of preparation and anticipation, we are thrilled to begin construction on Hana Gardens and look forward welcoming the residents to their new homes.”

“We are proud to be a part of creating 63 units of new affordable housing for seniors in El Cerrito,” said
El Cerrito Mayor Janet Abelson.

About the Development:
Hana Gardens includes 62 one-bedroom apartments and 1 two-bedroom manager’s unit. Fifty percent
(50%) of the units will be fully accessible to people with disabilities. All units are designed to allow for access by persons in wheelchairs, including all kitchens and bathrooms. Twenty three units have been designated for households with income at or below 30% of the area median income, 8 units have been designated for household with incomes at or below 45% of the area median income and 31 units have been designated for households with income at or below 50% of area medium income.

The property was acquired by the City of El Cerrito’s former Redevelopment Agency for affordable
housing in 2009 with the goal to develop the site adjacent to El Cerrito’s City Hall with high-quality
affordable senior housing with social services and commercial uses on the ground floor. Hana Gardens is
funded by a variety of funding sources, including the State Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities
grant program, State Infill Infrastructure Grant program, Wells Fargo and Contra Costa County housing
programs with support from the City of El Cerrito.

In addition to the residential units, the affordable housing community will include two ground-floor
commercial spaces and a beautiful public plaza honoring the Japanese influence on the flower industry.
“Hana” is often translated from Japanese into English as “flower.”

The public spaces were inspired by the single-story Contra Costa Florist building at 10848 San Pablo
Avenue and the once-thriving Japanese American cut flower industry in the area. Eden will renovate the
single story stone-faced former Contra Costa Florist building in line with the building’s original design to
the greatest extent practical, and it will house some of the development’s community areas for the
residents.

-Image by Eden Housing via City of El Cerrito