Coachella hosts groundbreaking for $63M affordable housing community

A groundbreaking was held Wednesday with city officials and developer representatives for the $63 million, 108-unit Tripoli affordable family apartments in Coachella.

The event was held Wednesday morning at 51392 Cesar Chavez St., where the 2.8-acre project will be located. Representatives from the Chelsea Investment Corporation, Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez and City Council members Denise Delgado, Frank Figueroa, Stephanie Virgen and Neftali Galarza were in attendance.

“Access to housing is not just a basic necessity; it is the foundation upon which lives are built. A safe and affordable home is where families find stability, children grow and learn, and dreams are forged,” Neftali wrote in a statement. “By investing in affordable housing, we are investing in the future of our community. We recognize that everyone, regardless of their income, deserves a place they can proudly call home.”

Tripoli will include 108 apartment units and two retail units, with a three-story Building A and a four-story Building B.

It’s the fourth project to be developed in partnership with Chelsea Investment Corporation, according to city officials, following Pueblo Viejo Villas, Cesar Chavez Villas and Cesar Chavez Villas II. The four projects total more than $100 million in affordable housing developments.

The most recent is being funded by the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s Infill Infrastructure Grant, Housing Authority of the County of Riverside, the California Department of Developmental Services’ Community Resource Development Plan Priorities and the city.

“We are experiencing more often that local governments are not just building to increase capacity — they are building in their civic core, revitalizing key areas within the city while incorporating beautiful affordable housing that not only provides homes to lower income families, but also becomes an essential part of the fabric of the community,” Chelsea CEO Charles Schmid said in a statement.

The project will be located near City Hall and the public library, set to be the focus of redevelopment activity including civic, commercial, residential and mixed-use components in the area through the Pueblo Viejo Master Plan, city officials said.

“Affordable housing throughout the Coachella Valley region is an important asset for our families and communities,” Perez said in a statement. “Everyone deserves somewhere to call a home they are proud of.”

More information about the project can be found at www.coachella.org/departments/development-services/tripoli-mixed-use-project- 63007.