An affordable housing community debuted in recent days in the Coachella Valley.
Community Housing Opportunities Corp. celebrated the grand opening of Placita Dolores Huerta, a 56-unit complex adjacent to downtown Coachella.
The campus on nearly 3 acres at 84908 Bagdad Ave. cost $44 million funded by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, Riverside County HOME Funds, a city of Coachella CFD loan, American Rescue Plan Act and USDA Rural Development financing.
The community will carry the affordable distinction for at least the next 55 years, according to CHOC, a Fairfield-based nonprofit affordable housing developer.
The complex features one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities include a computer lab, a splash pad and playground and outdoor BBQ gathering spaces.
“Placita Dolores Huerta ensures that residents can raise their families in a dignified and stable environment,” said CHOC Chief Executive Officer Manuela Silva in a statement. “There are countless people in this area who struggle to live in the very communities that they serve. This community will have a life-changing impact on the families who call it home, allowing them to build a prosperous future for generations to come.”
The waitlist for apartments is full, according to .
The community was designed by Maria Song at Interactive Design Corp. in Palm Springs and enlists a contemporary Spanish colonial style with Moorish details seen throughout Coachella.
Riverside apartment complex sells for $7.75 million
Potomac Apartments, a 34-unit complex in Riverside, recently changed hands for $7.75 million, according to CBRE.
That’s $227,941 per unit.
Eric Chen at CBRE said the property generated multiple offers.
The complex is just over a mile from California Baptist University and includes studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans, averaging 626 sq. ft. Amenities include patios, laundry, and covered parking.
603,000-square foot distribution center begins in Riverside
Work began recently on Sycamore Hills Distribution Center in Riverside.
Rockefeller Group is the developer on the 35-acre site that will become home to two buildings totaling 603,100 square feet.
The buildings include a 400,000-square-foot and 203,100-square-foot warehouses along Alessandro Boulevard at Barton Street.
The company said JPMorgan Chase provided $87.2 million in construction financing for the project.
“Although the industrial market slowed in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, we believe that industrial buildings in these size ranges will be in demand by prospective tenants soon before the project is completed in early 2025,” said James V. Camp, a senior managing director for Rockefeller Group’s West Region.
As part of the development, Rockefeller Group said it also is developing and donating a 1.18-acre trailhead parking lot north of the property, which will provide hiking and mountain biking access to the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park.
The trailhead parking lot will include 52 parking stalls, a seating area, drinking fountain and bike repair stand.
Innovation Expo coming May 15 to Riverside
The Riverside Forward Business Innovation Expo is being held Wednesday, May 15 at the Riverside Convention Center.
The event is aimed at entrepreneurs, business leaders, students and the public to explore the latest technology.
The event is open to the public and starts at 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Ramy Shbaita at rshbaita@riverside-chamber.com or call 951-683-7100.
Sam Ash Music closing all of its stores
In case you missed the news last week, Sam Ash Music is closing all stores this summer. The 100-year-old music store with seven locations in Southern California made the announcement May 2 on social media.
The company was founded by two immigrants who settled in New York. Sam Ash retired his music performing career when wife Rose demanded a little more of his time at home. They created a retail store that would inspire legions of wannabe musicians over the years.
The family-run company, which sells myriad guitars, instruments, amplifiers, DJ and stage equipment, offered no reason for the closure.
3 high schoolers win annual art competition
Rep. Pete Aguilar recently announced the three local high school winners of the annual Congressional Art Competition.
Alejandro Esqueda, a 10-grader at Carter High School in Rialto, won first place for his piece “El Coyote.”
Amanda Romero, a senior at Arroyo Valley High School in San Bernardino, earned second place for her piece “Baseline.”
Viridiana Martinez, also a senior at Arroyo Valley High, won third place for “My Guardian Angel.”
“As always, our students let their creativity shine and beautifully captured our community,” Aguilar said in a statement. “I’m thankful to the teachers and parents who have supported our students throughout this process, and I can’t wait to show off a piece of the Inland Empire in Washington, D.C.”
The first-place winner’s art will be displayed in the US Capitol building for one year, while the other local winners will have their work on dispaly in the Garcia Center for the Arts in San Bernardino.
Aguilar said the winners were chosen by a panel of local artists nominated by the Arts Connection Network.
Fundraisers
Cardenas Markets Foundation is sending $20,000 as part of its Dia del Nino campaign to organizations that work on children’s well-being initiatives.
Local nonprofits include Children’s Fund in San Bernardino, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, and Building Bridges Foster Family Agency in Ontario.
“Día del Niño or Children’s Day is about celebrating children and advocating for their happiness and well-being,” said Adam Salgado, Cardenas Markets Foundation president. “For the Cardenas Markets Foundation, it’s also about ensuring that the children in the areas where Cardenas Markets operates have access to the resources they need to thrive, and we are honored to partner with these organizations to assist in furthering their respectivemissions.”
On the move
Scott Ditfurth, a litigation partner at Best Best & Krieger, is the new chair of the board of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. Ditfurth, a member of the Chamber for more than 15 years, will serve for one term ending April 2025. The Riverside chambers have roughly 1,100 business members.
The business briefs are compiled and edited by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items to sgowen@scng.com. High-resolution images also can be submitted. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
