by City Staff
The City of Ventura Community Development Department is working hard to create a thriving, prosperous community. This year we will see the completion of many major projects such as the new Kaiser Permanente medical office building on Market and Valentine Streets, and the new Volkswagen dealership at Perkin Avenue and King Drive. We are also looking forward to the construction and completion of new residential projects, which continue to make a comeback after the downfall in the economy.
Housing is a vital part of the way communities grow and is key to the social and economic sustainability of the City. With Ventura being a desirable place to live, the demand for housing has increased and providing a range of dwelling types is important to meet the different needs of our residents. With everything Ventura has to offer, it’s no wonder private economic investments are being made here. Upcoming home and mixed-use developments will provide a broad array of housing choices from the Westside to Downtown, and from the Harbor to the Eastside.
On the Westside, the Solana Heights project at Ventura Avenue and School Canyon Road brings 114 new 3-5 bedroom single-family homes, 33 new townhomes with 3-4 bedrooms, plus three new parks with picnic tables, barbeques and children’s play equipment. The home designs and proximity to schools (E.P. Foster Elementary, nd DeAnza Academy of Technology and Arts and Ventura Charter School) make the location family-friendly and a welcome addition to Ventura’s oldest neighborhood.
Downtown, the Mar-Y-Cel mixed-use project, on 2.3 acres bordered by Ventura Avenue, Santa Clara Street, Junipero Street and Thompson Blvd., features 138 apartments, a 5-level parking structure and more than 6,000 square feet of commercial space. Residents of this new innovative downtown community will help spur retail development and contribute to an already active environment.
In December 2016, hundreds of community members and dignitaries celebrated the groundbreaking of Portside Ventura Harbor, the first new major development at Ventura Harbor in three decades. Construction is underway for the mixed-use, waterfront location with 300 residential housing units including 270 apartments and 30 live/work spaces, 21,300 square-feet of commercial and retail space, a new recreational marina with 104 boat slips, a water taxi stop (connecting Portside Ventura Harbor with Harbor Village), two-acre public waterfront park, public-access waterfront promenade, public dock for personal watercraft such as kayaks and paddle boards, and plenty of coastal parking.
On Ventura’s Eastside, the former UC Hansen Trust property, now called The Farm, is located at the southeast corner of Telegraph Road and Saticoy Avenue and consists of 35.7 acres of undeveloped land nestled into a scenic setting of farmland, foothills and established residential neighborhoods. The property has an approved specific plan, tentative tract map, and development agreement allowing for 131 single family detached Ventura homes on 4,000 – 8,795 square foot lots, 3 building pads for 34 attached row house/townhouses, 6 acres of public parks and open space areas, and two building pads for 20-24 farm worker housing units. Williams Homes intends on building the entire project with exception of the farm worker housing which will be designed and developed by the City of San Buenaventura Housing Authority.
These exciting new residential projects provide citizens with options such as home ownership, apartments, townhomes and row homes. Through careful stewardship and good plans, the Community Development Department is promoting a strong and viable community that is sustainable, compatible and beneficial to the community.
