Mesa Terrace Affordable Housing Opens in Almaden, San Jose

The City of San Jose recently celebrated the grand opening for new affordable housing at 1171 Mesa Drive in Almaden, Santa Clara County. The Mesa Terrace Community will create 46 homes for low-income families and transition-aged youth. Eden Housing is the developer and property manager.

Mesa Terrace ribbon cutting ceremony, image via Eden Housing

Of the 46 homes, 23 will be designated for transition-aged youths who have exited the foster system as described by the California Housing and Community Development Department. The TAY program aims to prevent homelessness for young adults between the ages of 18 to 24. The other units will be for low-income families, with a special focus on seniors. Residents will get access to a 1,000-square-foot community room.

The property is located at the corner of Mesa Drive and Gallup Drive, close to Pioneer High School. Residents will overlook a large retail plaza with a grocery store. That plaza is one of four on each corner of the intersection with Blossom Hill Road and Almaden Plaza. The Blossom Hill VTA light rail station is 13 minutes away by foot.

Mesa Terrace, image via San Jose Housing Department

PYATOK is responsible for the design. The firm writes about the project that “at five stories, the project establishes a gateway and landmark for the larger community. The curving corner parcel is celebrated with cascading windows rounding the corner and terminating at a publicly-accessible ground floor community room. By contrast, massing at the southwest corner steps back in deference to the single-family residences next door, creating an upper-level terrace for residents.”

Mesa Terrace pedestrian view, image via PYATOK

L + D Construction is the general contractor. Wells Fargo and California Community Reinvestment Corporation assisted Eden with financing. Much of the funding came from the 2016 Measure A bond for affordable housing. Santa Clara County was awarded over half a billion dollars for multi-family housing across nine cities. Along with Mesa Terrace, Eden was awarded funds from the bond for La Avenida Apartments, Auzerais, and East Santa Clara.

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