$25 Million Approved for Roseland Village Affordable Housing and Transit Expansion
Over $25 million was approved today by the State of California that will provide a huge boost in the development of the transformational Roseland Village project. These funds represent a massive down payment in the revitalization of the Roseland Village Shopping Center which will include 75 units of desperately needed affordable housing.
A mix of affordable and market rate homes, retail, and civic spaces
Senator McGuire, the County of Sonoma, the City of Santa Rosa, SMART and MidPen Housing have been working together to secure the funds for over a year. The newly secured allocation represents a huge shot in the arm for the long planned development on The lot on Sebastopol Road where three design proposals have been submitted for the Roseland Village mixed use development in Santa Rosa Road, which will result in a mix of affordable and market rate homes, retail, and civic spaces which will become the heart of the thriving Roseland community.
75 units of desperately needed affordable housing
“These funds represent a massive down payment in the revitalization of the Roseland Village Shopping Center which will include 75 units of desperately needed affordable housing. For years, Roseland neighbors along with County and City leaders have been working to move this transformational project forward and it’s exciting to see their hard work pay off,” said Senator McGuire. “The State was truly impressed with the City and County’s vision and unified approach and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner.”
This transformational project, the result of over 10 years of planning and outreach, adds 75 units of affordable housing that directly connects to the 8.5-mile long Joe Rodota Trail. It also closes a key pathway gap in the Trail, connecting it to downtown Santa Rosa and the SMART Station via a new bike and pedestrian crossing on Third Street. The gap closure creates 10 miles of continuous pathway from the SMART Santa Rosa North station to Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park, while also connecting to the Joe Rodota Trail to Sebastopol.
Connecting Roseland residents to Downtown Santa Rosa and transit services
“This gap closure will create nearly 20 miles of uninterrupted pathway in Sonoma County, and connect Roseland residents to Downtown Santa Rosa and transit services. I’m so pleased that residents will be able to easily access the main transit corridors and have more opportunities for walking and bicycling,” said Shirlee Zane, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and member of the SMART Board of Directors.
Additionally, a workforce partnership with JobLink of Sonoma County will train and place low income residents into quality careers on site
Housing production near transit.
“The City of Santa Rosa and County of Sonoma formed the Renewal Enterprise District (RED) for the very purpose of using new, collaborative approaches to accelerate the pace of infill housing production near transit. Taking a team approach, the RED coordinated creative action across jurisdictions and disciplines to ensure the grant applications were in the strongest possible competitive positions, and the effort paid off. The award of these grants will be transformational in addressing our community’s critical need to build climate smart, equity centered housing in alignment with our collective values,” said Santa Rosa Vice Mayor Victoria Fleming, Chair of the Renewal Enterprise District Board of Directors.
$5M towards the SMART rail extension to the Town of Windsor
The funding award includes $5M towards the SMART rail extension to the Town of Windsor, including the new station platform in Downtown Windsor. The positive impacts on air quality from the estimated greenhouse gas emission reductions from the Windsor Extension were instrumental in the proposal scoring so high.
Additionally, by locating affordable housing in a central location with ease of access to public transit, the result is a significant reduction in the number of vehicle miles traveled by people in cars. SMART riders to date, travel an average of 25 miles per train trip.
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“This project is a true win-win-win, and it underscores the importance of multi-agency collaboration. Having a clear understanding of how the transportation network is tied to economic development and how all of these components work together, enabled us to successfully compete for funding,” said David Rabbitt, Sonoma County Supervisor and member of the SMART and Renewable Enterprise District Board of Directors.
Fifth District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins added: “This project provides long-overdue community investment and revitalization to the Roseland community. For years, we have been working tirelessly to move this project forward. Funding has always been a challenge. I am thrilled to partner with the State of California to get this project moving forward as quickly as possible to create beautiful housing and community space.”
