North Bay Business Journal

A chance to jumpstart SMART project at Railroad Square

Imagine this proposal coming to your city’s leaders in today’s awful economic environment: Build a privately financed, state-of-the-art health club near downtown and adjacent to a rising heritage neighborhood with three stories of affordable senior housing on top.

Impossible?

Well, there is such a proposal surrounding Santa Rosa’s long-delayed Railroad Square SMART project. And it should be warmly and emphatically welcomed.

Sonoma Valley Green housing project cuts costs with factory-built parts

SONOMA VALLEY – A planned 52-home development north of the city of Sonoma has been redesigned to include more environmentally friendly features while significantly lowering anticipated sale prices.

Residential Real Estate: With Tuscany Village dorms, SSU can house 3,200 students

Construction of Sonoma State University’s newest campus housing facility, Tuscany Village, continues on schedule with a planned August opening date.

Marin Community Foundation launches new focused model

Affordable housing first in four major funding initiatives
MARIN COUNTY – After close to two years of strategic planning, the Marin Community Foundation commenced July 1 a completely redesigned funding model, shifting for the first time a majority of discretionary dollars to original projects jointly created by the organization in four primary focus areas.
The plan [...]

Backers of $200 million development on Railroad Square ‘just ecstatic’

NORTH BAY – Funding, the primary obstacle of the mixed-use Railroad Square project in Santa Rosa, no longer stands in the way.

The project was approved to receive $15 million in state bond and federal stimulus funds.

Marin Community Foundation unveils $10 million affordable housing plan

MARIN COUNTY – The Marin Community Foundation will fund $10 million in affordable housing projects over the next five years, it was announced today.

The initiative developed with local affordable housing developers will benefit projects for low-income families, seniors and other individuals in Marin.

Healdsburg breaks ground on green, affordable rental housing

HEALDSBURG – Healdsburg Family Housing held a ceremonial ground-breaking for an affordable and green housing development on its site near downtown Healdsburg Wednesday.

Market for solar power identified in affordable housing

Integrated Power Corp., or iPower, in Novato recently signed on with affordable housing developer Urban Housing Communities to design and install solar energy systems in many of its 17 current and proposed housing projects throughout the state.
Low-income tax credits, combined with state and federal solar tax credits, are bringing solar systems to people who never [...]

Officials seek Railroad Square funds

SANTA ROSA – Funding was the primary obstacle left in the way of the mixed-use Railroad Square project in Santa Rosa getting under way, and it looked to be closer than ever, but a new wrinkle has appeared: the federal economic stimulus bill.

Casa Grande is both green and universal

NORTH BAY – Petaluma Ecumenical Properties opened the region’s first GreenPoint-rated affordable housing development last month. The nonprofit has been serving the low-income population in Petaluma for more than 30 years.