City of Rancho Cordova Welcomes New KTGY-designed Eco-Friendly Apartment Community

A successful public/private partnership between Urban Housing Communities (UHC) creates 18 new affordable workforce housing community in Sacramento County

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA – February 9, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — The Crossings at New Rancho, the area’s highly anticipated, new affordable apartment community located at 2708 Woodberry Way in Rancho Cordova, Calif., officially opened today. Mayor David Sander of Rancho Cordova and John Bigley, Chief Operating Officer of Urban Housing Communities (UHC), and other local leaders were on hand at the event.

Designed by KTGY Group, Inc., the community features 12 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom apartment homes in two three-story buildings and has been built on a site formerly occupied by a dilapidated motel that had been vacant for nearly a decade. Phase Two of the community, called Horizons at New Rancho, will include 48 affordable one- and two-bedroom apartment homes for senior citizens.

The Crossings at New Rancho is the result of a collaboration between developer Urban Housing Communities (UHC) of Santa Ana, California, the City of Rancho Cordova and its Community Redevelopment Agency, plus the California Dept. of Housing and Community Development, and the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

The managing general partner and service provider is Valley Initiative for Affordable Housing, with property management provided by AWI Property Management Corp. The community was financed through RBC Capital Markets. Architectural services were provided by KTGY Group, Inc. and the general contractor was Competitive Edge Construction, Inc.

“We are delighted to formally open the Crossings at New Rancho,” said Bigley. “Only with the dedication and hard work of community organizations and our governmental and financial partners are we able to provide safe, eco-friendly affordable living to the families of this deserving community. We look forward to continuing these partnerships as we create other new developments that will serve this generation and those to come.”

“The Crossings at New Rancho was designed to not only complement the surrounding neighborhoods but also with a vision to create a higher standard for affordable housing,” said Alan Scales, KTGY studio director and the project’s designer, located in the firm’s Irvine office.

Reflecting the architectural style of the neighborhood, the Crossings beautifully blends comfortable housing with onsite supportive services, providing residents with a wealth of living opportunities. Nearby are schools in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District, a grocery store, a hospital, a pharmacy and public transit.

Features include central heating and air-conditioning, high efficiency appliances including refrigerators, dishwashers, stoves and ovens, plus washer and dryer hookups, improved insulation, high efficiency windows, radiant barriers in roofs, room fans, covered patios or balconies, storage space and cable TV ready wiring.

The builders are pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification for the Crossings at New Rancho. To obtain this certification, solar panels for the apartments and carports have been included to generate electricity for the complex; flooring, railings, furniture, and trash and recycling receptacles are made from recycled content; zero-VOC interior paints and low-VOC interior finishes and adhesives, and building materials that contain recycled content and do not emit harmful chemicals have been utilized. The buildings are all designed as nonsmoking to improve indoor air quality for health of residents.

The complex also offers a 1,200-square-foot onsite community center, which features a supportive resident services program, a computer lab, a full-service kitchen, laundry facilities and an office for the onsite manager. Outdoor amenities include BBQs, picnic tables, a playground, a community garden and informal seating areas. Indoor and outdoor spaces were designed to promote interaction and activity among residents. Adequate resident and visitor covered parking is available.

Apartments at the Crossings range from $465 to $939 per month, depending upon incomes. Low-income prospects qualifying for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program are welcome. For more information about leasing at the Crossings, call 916.364.0220.

UHC recently completed five other KTGY-designed residential communities, which provide high quality, affordable apartment homes for working families: Crossings at 29th Street offering 34 families apartment homes in South Los Angeles; Crossings at North Hills offering 38 affordable apartment homes in Los Angeles County; Crossings at Escondido offering 55 affordable apartment homes in San Diego County; Crossings at Big Bear Lake offering 42 affordable apartment homes in San Bernardino County; and Horizons at Morgan Hill offering 49 affordable senior apartment homes in Santa Clara County.

About Urban Housing Communities

Urban Housing Communities LLC was formed in 2003 by executives from the affordable housing industry’s leading companies. Together, they have financed or developed over 10,000 units of housing. In 2011 alone, UHC completed construction of 8 Low Income Housing Tax Credit developments in Hawaii and California and is positioned to begin construction on four additional developments in 2012. For more information, visit www.uhcllc.net.

About KTGY Group, Inc.

Celebrating its 20th year, KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture + Planning, provides comprehensive planning and award-winning architectural design services for residential communities, retail, hospitality, mixed-use and related specialty developments. KTGY delivers innovative solutions that reflect clear understanding of development, market trends and financial performance and takes particular pride in its highly motivated and principal led studios. Serving clients worldwide, KTGY maintains offices in Irvine, Oakland and Santa Monica, Calif., Denver, Colo., and Tysons Corner, Va. See www.ktgy.com.