SANTA ANA, CA-Locally based Urban Housing Communities has begun construction on a 42-unit, $17 million affordable apartment complex for families that will be the first such project in Big Bear Lake. Called the Crossings at Big Bear Lake, the development is under way on 2.6 acres along Knickerbocker Road between Pennsylvania Avenue and Maryland Road south of Big Bear Boulevard (Highway 18).

Designed by architecture and planning firm KTGY Group Inc., the Crossings is being developed in collaboration with the City of Big Bear Lake's Improvement Agency and Bank of America. Scheduled for completion next summer, it will feature 28 two-bedroom, two-story townhomes and 14 three-bedroom, single-story flats averaging approximately 1,100 square feet.

The Crossings is designed for local working families earning between 30% and 60% of San Bernardino County median income. Rents are expected to range from $449 to $1,038 per month, based on family size and income level.

John Bigley, chief operating officer of Urban Housing Communities, points out that although most people know Big Bear Lake as a vacation destination, "It's also a city that confronts the same issues of housing, healthcare and education as more urban areas." As a result, Bigley says, "A certain level of affordability is required to sustain the local work force that supports the city's year-round recreation activities," such as skiing and snowboarding during the winter and boating and biking in the summer. While Big Bear does offer some affordable housing, its stock consists mainly of aging single-family homes and one affordable senior community.

Urban Housing Communities partnered with the City of Big Bear Lake's Improvement Agency in 2009 to increase the city's affordable housing stock. The Improvement Agency committed funding through a soft loan and UHC secured financing through the highly competitive 9% tax credit program. Additional financing for the project was provided by the Bank of America Community Development Corporation, Bank of America, National Equity Fund and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Situated adjacent to a new neighborhood of single-family homes and across from Big Bear Elementary School, the Crossings at Big Bear Lake is being developed on formerly vacant, untended property. KTGY principal Chris Texter points out that the project is part of a redevelopment infill. It includes heavy timber gable end framing, stone veneer and siding. Each building is planned "to respect and add to the current street scene, residences, trees and other site opportunities," Texter says. The apartments are oriented around a central garden, tot lot and community center amenities for the families, he adds.

The developers describe the new complex as convenient to schools, public transportation, shopping, medical services, a public park and recreation areas. It is approximately a 10-minute walk from Big Bear Lake Village, the city's premier shopping and entertainment district.

SL Residential, the general contractor for the project, began construction on July 15 and plans to recycle at least 75% of construction waste, and the project will employ a host of other eco-friendly design features. The Crossings at Big Bear Lake is UHC's second project to begin construction in less than 30 days. It recently broke ground on the Crossings at Escondido, a KTGY-designed residential community that will feature 55 affordable apartments for working families in San Diego County.