Location: Sacramento, CA
Developer: Ali Youssefi, Cyrus Youssefi, and John Cicerone
Partners: Capitol Area Development Authority
Website: http://www.rstreetwal.com

Warehouse Artist Lofts is a mixed-income, mixed-use community focused on the special needs of artists. The lofts have been created from the adaptive reuse of Lawrence Warehouse, a 100-year-old concrete warehouse listed in the National Register of Historic Buildings. The building upholds high sustainability features that exceed California’s Title 24 energy standards, and was built on a former toxic remediation site. In addition to 116 apartments, the Lofts are replete with common spaces that stimulate creativity and a sense of community. A community room with performance space capabilities, a dance studio, and a rooftop deck with playground are some of the unique spaces that this facility offers its mixed-income tenants. Additionally, 13,000 square feet of ground floor retail provides additional services to the community, all within blocks of light rail and bus lines.

The high-density, transit-oriented location offers the mixed-income community at the Lofts with close proximity to downtown Sacramento. With 86 units offered at affordable rates, comprising three quarters of the project, Warehouse Artist Lofts is helping to alleviate the shortage of affordable housing in downtown Sacramento. With many residents moving back into the urban core of the city, the housing stock has been inadequate and prices rising, a situation which has left artists, among others, with limited affordable housing options. The project will enable artists, who largely helped revitalize downtown Sacramento, to remain in this vibrant neighborhood and continue to contribute to its growing economy. The project was made possible by a creative mix of Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits as well as infrastructure funds from California’s department of Housing and Community Development.