Located in Oakland, CA, St. Joseph’s is one of 27 finalists in the worldwide competition, which recognizes real estate projects that achieve a high standard of excellence in design, construction, economics, planning and management. The ULI jury will announce the award winners at its fall meeting in November 2013.
St. Joseph’s Senior Apartments provides 84 affordable rental apartments for low-income seniors and 3,200 square feet of commercial space within the former main building of Oakland’s historic “St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged.” BRIDGE leveraged this deteriorating asset to create affordable infill housing while preventing the loss of a significant landmark. The rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the Main Building included seismic upgrades and complies with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties.
Many apartments feature historic windows and impeccably restored architectural details, while on-site amenities include a spacious community room on the ground floor facing a courtyard, community garden and sunny lobby areas with seating. In keeping with its commitment to quality of life for residents, BRIDGE offers programs such as social service referrals, stretch yoga, craft activities and transportation services to the seniors who live at the property.
“We are honored to be a finalist for this prestigious award,” said Cynthia A. Parker, President and CEO of BRIDGE Housing. “The St. Joseph’s affordable development preserves an important historic landmark in Oakland’s San Antonio neighborhood, and the entire campus provides a true multigenerational housing community.”
Adjacent to St. Joseph’s Senior Apartments, BRIDGE is developing 62 affordable apartments for families that will be complete in the fall of 2013.
“From an impressive array of submissions, ULI’s Global Awards Jury selected 27 outstanding projects, each of which positively impacts its larger community — sometimes modestly, but often massively,” said Jury Chairman M. Leanne Lachman, President of real estate consulting firm Lachman Associates LLC in New York, NY. “All projects exhibit innovations in design, sustainability, adaptability to their surroundings, financial solidity, and provision of enjoyment to their many users. In one way or another, each finalist wowed the jury, which will make selection of the winners a real challenge.”
The competition is part of the Institute’s Awards for Excellence program, established in 1979, which is based on ULI’s guiding principle that the achievement of excellence in land use practice should be recognized and rewarded. ULI’s Awards for Excellence recognize the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnership, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial viability.
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