SAN DIEGO--This past Tuesday, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee announced that a City of San Diego redevelopment project will receive an allocation of $18.8 million in federal and state tax credits that will be used to fund new, affordable housing in City Heights. The Metro Villas, the housing component of the Metro Center project, is the only affordable housing development in San Diego to be awarded tax credits.

"The Metro Center is a model redevelopment project," said Councilmember Toni Atkins, whose Third District includes the site of the proposed project. "This $44 million project combines quality, affordable family housing located next to a park and transit services, combined with public facilities to help working families improve their lives."

The Metro Center, to be constructed on University Avenue adjacent to and just west of the new Interstate 15, includes:

• a four-story, 81,000-square-foot office tower, which will be the future home of the Workforce Partnership One-Stop Metro Career Center;
• a 5,000-square-foot childcare center;
• a community meeting facility;
• the Metro Villas housing complex that will include two tot lots; and
• a 489-space parking structure to be shared by the housing and office complex.

The Metro Villas complex will include 120 affordable housing units made up of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. These units will be made available to families and individuals who make less than 65 percent of the area's median income.

"We have a critical need for decent, affordable, dignified family homes for City Heights residents," said Atkins. "This project provides two tot lots, exceeds the open space and parking requirements, and is located within yards of the busiest transit corridors in the city, including the new MTDB bus service, the Premium Express 'jobs routes' to Downtown and UTC."

Partners in the housing project are the City Heights Community Development Corporation and San Diego Interfaith Housing. In addition to the $18.8 million in tax credits, funding was provided by the San Diego Housing Commission, Centre City Development Corporation, and the City of San Diego Redevelopment Agency.

The Metro Career Center is a partnership of the San Diego Revitalization Corporation-- the development arm of Price Charities--and the City's redevelopment agency.

The Metro Career Center is scheduled to open by December 2003, while the housing component should be completed six to eight months after that.

"This project is a perfect example of how redevelopment can be used to create liveable neighborhoods along with public facilities to benefit working families in our older, urban communities," said Atkins.