Construction Update from Santa Clara Agrihood at 90 North Winchester Boulevard

Crews have topped out the senior housing block and the townhomes for the multi-structure Santa Clara Agrihood project. The project has reshaped the vacant lot by the border of Santa Clara and San Jose, with plans to open up 361 new homes, retail, and urban farmland by next year. Core Companies, a real estate and construction firm, is responsible for the development.

Santa Clara Agrihood senior housing seen from Winchester Boulevard, image by Andrew Campbell Nelson

Santa Clara Agrihood Senior Housing apartments, image by Andrew Campbell Nelson

Santa Clara Agrihood townhomes along Worthington Circle, image by Andrew Campbell Nelson

The project takes a novel approach to construction for the Bay Area, centering the new housing around new farmland managed by Farmscape, taking advantage of Santa Clara Valley’s fertile land. The area, called the Valley of Heart’s Delight, was transformed from the country’s most abundant source of fruits into a sprawling urban region fueled by the automobile industry following World War Two.

Core Companies shares that the farmland is an “homage to Santa Clara’s agricultural past. Located on the former UC Davis agricultural research and development site known as the Bay Area Research and Extension Center (BAREC), the acre-and-a-half of farmland and open space will provide healthy sustenance and new outdoor recreational resources to residents and neighbors alike.”

Santa Clara Agrihood site map, image via Core Companies

Santa Clara Agrihood townhomes, image from Steinberg Hart

The land will have three rotations of food crops each year. The property will feature native hedgerows to increase pollination and avoid using pesticides. The following is a list of potential crops to be grown at Agrihood.

• Comfort foods: tomatoes, zucchini, romaine lettuce, eggplant, onions, and sweet potatoes
• Superfoods: kale, parsley, collard greens, and chard
• Native foods: quailbush, strawberries, yerba buena, watercress, prickly pear, huckleberries, elderberries, and chia
• Perennials: citrus trees, dwarf apple, pear, plum, apricot, almond, and nectarine. Additionally, avocados, walnut, and persimmons are being considered. Berry vines and grapes for wine will cover fences, arbors, and trellises. Other perennials that may include sorrel, New Zealand spinach, golden berries, chives, chayote, Malabar spinach, and sunchokes
• Drought tolerant plantings: olives, millet, sorghum, arugula, African basil, okra, cowpeas, and mesquite

The development yields 241,400 square feet of residential space across two housing types, apartments and townhomes. Of the 361 units, 181 will be priced as affordable. Steinberg Hart is responsible for the architectural design, which imagines an active, vibrant development with inviting outdoor spaces.

Santa Clara Agrihood active courtyard, image from Steinberg Hart

Santa Clara Agrihood’s Shed at northeast edge of the lot, image by Andrew Campbell Nelson

One of the Santa Clara Agrihood apartments complex, image from Steinberg Hart

The 36 townhomes and the 165-unit affordable senior housing apartments are currently under construction. Of the 165 units, there will be 70 studios, 84 single-bedroom units, and 11 two-bedroom units. Parking will be available for 99 vehicles and twelve bicycles.

A second 237,000-square-foot building will contain 160 apartments, of which 16 will be sold as affordable.

The project is expected open in late 2023, with the property managed by the John Stewart Company.

Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail

Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews