The Senior Artists Colony, an affordable housing development of Meta Housing Corporation designed by Studio One Eleven, recently captured the 2010 SAGE Award in the ‘On the Boards’ category. The Long Beach, California development project will feature 200 units of affordable senior housing units situated near the Metro rail line and the Anaheim Street bus corridor to provide easy options for public transportation to the community’s residents. This portion of the Long Beach+Anaheim mixed-use, multi generational development will be Meta Housing Corporation’s 4th Generation of Independent Senior Housing
The first phase of the project, expected to be completed by 2012, will have a 161 unit Senior Artists Colony (SAC), a community focused on continued learning and fitness, and an adjacent building, the Arts Annex (AA) containing 39 units of additional affordable senior housing. SAC amenities include art studios, a playhouse/community room, audio room, computer room, classroom, billiard room, fitness center, game room, and library with roof deck. The project, which will also include a dog park and community gardens, will follow the City’s green building policy and be LEED®-certified equivalent.
“This project, featuring impressive, well-executed contemporary architecture in a mid-rise design on an in-fill site, is a great example of the future of 50+ housing,” said SAGE judge and former president Manny Gonzalez. “The developer’s successful arts programs, extensive common spaces, and commitment to engaging residents is taken to an even higher level.”
Annie Gerard, a senior housing market research expert and the 2010 SAGE Person of the Year, also referenced the project upon accepting her award.
“We have a much better understanding [today] that creating thriving senior communities goes way beyond sticks and bricks,” stated Gerard. “Long Beach Senior Artists Colony, tonight’s ‘On the Boards’ winner, is an outstanding example of a community that specifically encourages seniors to be actively engaged.”