Just a few blocks from Levi’s Stadium – home of the San Francisco 49ers and host of Super Bowl LX – and near some of the best-known and most valuable tech companies, more than 75 people celebrated the grand opening on January 14 of Mainline North, an affordable apartment community in a fast-changing neighborhood of Santa Clara.
“Mainline North plays a big part in my life,” said guest speaker Pete Messias, who moved into the 151-apartment community a few months ago. “This place changed my mindset. I can take a breather and focus on work. I now have stable housing at an affordable price.”
That’s the far-reaching goal of Mainline North located at 2310 Calle Del Mundo in the Tasman East Specific Plan, a transit-oriented and pedestrian-friendly area neighborhood. The apartments are for low- and moderate-income residents, from early-in-their-career professionals, including those in the tech sector like Messias, to retirees living on a fixed income.
‘A place where people can put down roots and thrive’
Those attending the grand opening – including community leaders, elected officials and a few journalists – toured the eight-level apartment community that features a community room, fitness center, an arts and crafts room, and even a Wi-Fi work area complete with comfy chairs and desks. The highlight for many was the demonstration of the stackable lift in the three-level parking garage, which allows for more cars to be parked vertically.
Mainline North is “a place where people can put down roots and thrive,” said Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor during the two-hour grand opening that included a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the rooftop deck overlooking Levi’s Stadium. “It’s important that we support the entire community. Inclusivity and equal access to housing is part of our future.”
The City of Santa Clara is part of a public-private partnership that made Mainline North possible. Other partners include Housing Trust Silicon Valley, California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), tech giant Google, Bank of America, Ensemble Real Estate Investments and Related. USA Properties Fund and The Pinyon Group are developers on the $86 million project.
“It took a vision on part of the city” to embrace the idea of transforming the industrial neighborhood into more housing, said Geoff Brown, President and CEO of USA Properties Fund.
A community — and region — that desperately needs more affordable housing. About 45% of renters in Silicon Valley, or more than 140,000 people, are considered cost-burdened, spending at least 30% of their household income on rent, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
The developers and partners are “so committed to this community” and providing much-needed housing for lower-income residents, said Noni Ramos, CEO of Housing Trust Silicon Valley.
‘An inclusive community in a beautiful neighborhood’
In addition to being close to Levi’s Stadium, where some World Cup soccer matches will take place this summer, Mainline North is close to an elementary school, a park and public transportation – including the VTA light-rail station, ACE and Amtrak train station, and several bus stops.
A handful of other apartment communities offer several hundred homes for residents on Calle Del Mundo, and hundreds of more units are in the works. Neighbors often connect in the paseos along the street, Messias said.
Mainline North is an “inclusive community in a beautiful neighborhood,” said Raquel Gonzalez, Bank of America President for Silicon Valley.
Nearby businesses include locally owned restaurants and shops – and a long list of tech firms. Google, based in nearby Mountain View, has been an investor in dozens of affordable apartment communities to increase workforce housing in the region.
“It takes a village to build an apartment community like this one,” Gillmor said.
You can learn more about Mainline North from a recent news release. You can apply to live at Mainline North or get additional information on the apartment community’s site.
Photos by Nik Blaskovich