RANCHO BERNARDO — The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System and Affirmed Housing today opened SkyLINE, a seven-story, mixed-use, transit-oriented affordable housing community built on a former parking lot at the Rancho Bernardo Transit Station.
SkyLINE includes 99 affordable rental apartments for households earning 30% to 55% of the San Diego Area Median Income, or between $49,600 and $90,950 per year for a family of four. The property also includes one unrestricted manager’s unit.
“These are really complicated projects, but they’re so essential because being able to do density near public transit is really the central organizing principle of good city planning,” California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis said Thursday.
The apartments consist of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, along with shared amenities including laundry rooms, a community room with a learning center, furnished outdoor space for resident gatherings and a tot-lot play area.
“What we are doing today is creating more homes that are affordable to local San Diegans and giving them the opportunity to change their lives in a very positive way,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. “I want to thank MTS for its visionary leadership and taking what was an underutilized parking lot and turning it into a hundred doors of opportunity for local San Diegans.”
San Diego County awarded the project a $2 million loan through its Innovative Housing Trust Fund.
“The completion of this innovative project is a significant milestone for our residents of San Diego County,” said San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson, whose District 2 includes Rancho Bernardo. “Projects like this are about more than just buildings. They’re about building people, making a positive difference in their lives, our families and our neighborhoods.”
The San Diego Housing Commission awarded 30 federal rental housing vouchers to the development to help pay rent for residents with the lowest income, or 30% of AMI. The vouchers are tied directly to the development. When a household moves out, the voucher helps another low-income household pay rent at SkyLINE, according to a statement from the developers.
“When we invest in transit-oriented development like this one, we help families reach essential services and resources and recreational opportunities without having to rely upon a car,” said San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn, chair of the MTS Board of Directors. “SkyLINE demonstrates how we can help people thrive. This is exactly the kind of smart, sustainable development that San Diego needs, and it ensures that transit remains at the heart of San Diego’s future.”
The San Diego Housing Commission also authorized $42.5 million in tax-exempt Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds for the development. Additional financing included a $5 million loan from the city through the Bridge to Home program and nearly $4.5 million from California’s Infill Infrastructure Grant program through the Department of Housing and Community Development.
ConAm Management Corporation will manage the property, and Compass for Affordable Housing will provide resident services, including adult education, health and wellness classes, financial literacy and nutrition programs.
Site amenities include a children’s play area, a community room with a computer room, shaded outdoor gathering spaces with built-in seating and a leasing office.
SkyLINE also includes about 14,000 square feet of commercial space for Affirmed Housing’s corporate offices. The building’s parking structure includes 84 dedicated parking spaces for MTS riders in addition to 76 resident parking spaces.
The development was constructed under a Project Labor Agreement with San Diego Building Trades, making it the first 100% affordable housing development in the region to be built under a PLA, according to the statement.
