Tax credit-financed renovations improve this fully occupied apartment and townhouse complex, which serves low- to very-low-income households.

Ridgeview consists of eight multi-story, multi-family buildings, a two-story communal-use building, and a single-story maintenance building. The 101 units range from studio to five-bedroom configurations. To allow residents to remain in their homes to the maximum extent during the renovation, a phased construction schedule was developed in collaboration with the project sponsor, general contractor, and site manager. Funding utilized Tax Credits from the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.

Before the property owners could seek financing, they enlisted SGPA’s expertise to evaluate the condition of the property and to determine the improvements needed to bring the building to current rentable standards and ensure durability of the structures for the life of the new mortgage. Our project team completely inspected all apartment interiors; building exteriors and sitework; and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Then we prepared a comprehensive physical needs assessment (PNA) for the project’s funders. The PNA presented our team’s evaluation of existing conditions, findings for immediate needs to be renovated and repaired, and recommendations for additional desirable updates that would benefit both tenants and management.

SGPA designed the renovation not only to correct existing functional and code deficiencies, but also to improve energy performance, reduce adverse environmental impacts, ease maintenance, and enrich residents’ enjoyment of the development. With a completely new weatherproof and more energy-conserving exterior envelope, including roofs, siding, windows, and doors, the design enhances the property’s architectural character while remaining true to the original design intent. These changes benefit both residents and management, reducing energy bills for residents, and reducing water use and building repair bills for management.

Improvements made to the steep hillside site include provision for ADA access to critical components of the development, new water-conserving landscape, erosion controls, increased exercise opportunities for the senior residents, and design for discouragement of loitering by neighborhood teenagers.