Solage workforce housing opens
Public offered peek at modern affordability Tuesday
By John Waters Jr.
Editor
After suffering delays, unexpected construction challenges and the loss of one business partner since the project started nearly three years ago, the Palisades Apartments — also known as the Solage workforce housing — will mark its grand opening on Tuesday.
The project, a partnership between Calistoga Affordable Housing, Burbank Housing Development Corporation, and Solage Calistoga Resort will mark the end of its long road to development by opening for public inspection at 4 p.m. By invitation only, some visitors are being given a tour of the project between 2:30 and 4 p.m.
Calistoga Affordable Housing was not originally a partner in the 24-unit project, but applied to take over the planned project — a condition of the 2006 development agreement between the City of Calistoga and Auberge Resorts to develop the high-end resort — when the original for-profit developer no longer considered the project profitable enough.
Twenty-three local families are the beneficiaries of the agreement.
The Palisades Apartments will be managed by Burbank Housing Management Corporation, which has a live-in site manager. The apartments are designed for a variety of income levels and include an array of apartments meant to accommodate people with access challenges.
CAH was able to set rents at levels that 73 percent of Calistoga renters can afford with the help of public and private funding.
Major funding sources included a contribution of land by Solage Calistoga Resort, a state grant administered through the City of Calistoga, a construction loan from Silicon Valley Bank and federal tax credits based on the long-term affordability of the units. In all, the construction of Palisades brought more than $6 million into the community.
The apartments are located at 42 Brannan Street.
“This is the finest hour for affordable housing developers, to see so many members of our community move into beautiful new buildings where they can afford the rent,” said Erica Roetman Sklar, Executive Director of Calistoga Affordable Housing.
There will be a host of speakers at the 4 p.m. grand opening event, including Calistoga Mayor Jack Gingles; Todd Steel, Managing Partner, Solage Ownership Group; Christine Carr, Community Development Finance Manager, Silicon Valley Bank; Barney Deasy, President, Merritt Community Capital Corporation; Sklar; John Lowry, Executive Director, Burbank Housing; and Lourdes Robledo, a new resident of the apartment complex.