R.D. Olson Breaks Ground on Two Affordable Housing Communities in Los Angeles

IRVINE, Calif. – October 25, 2021 – R.D. Olson Construction, an award-winning general contracting firm in California, today announced the groundbreaking of two affordable housing communities in Los Angeles: Anaheim and Walnut in Long Beach valued at $44 million and West Carson Villas in West Carson valued at $40 million. The projects feature ground-up construction and are expected to be completed by Summer 2023.

“With affordable housing becoming an ever-increasing priority in the state of California, R.D. Olson Construction is expanding our multifamily expertise by partnering with two new mission-based developers,” said Bill Wilhelm, president at R.D. Olson Construction. “Like all of our projects, we value getting the details right and choosing the best team to deliver a superior, well-constructed product, that will not only create additional housing options, but also be a resource to the community.”

Anaheim and Walnut is a 207,000 square-foot mixed-use development by Bridge Housing, in partnership with the City of Long Beach and the Long Beach Housing Authority, located at 1500 East Anaheim St. The 88-unit building includes a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom affordable housing units, some with balconies, for formerly homeless seniors (age 55+) and low-income families that earn between 30% and 60% of AMI. The project features four stories of residential apartments over ground-floor commercial space, with a partially wrapped three-story parking structure. The fourth-floor terrace of the parking garage features amenities including a tot lot, exercise equipment, barbecues, seating areas, trellises, community planters and rubber surface flooring. The building’s skin will include a mixture of Hardy plank lap siding and panels, colored three-coat plaster and vertical aluminum decorative fins adding to the design elements. R.D. Olson Construction also is building the shell for a 18,459 square-foot community space that will house a Wellness Community Center operated by The Children’s Clinic to provide healthcare for the neighboring community. R.D. Olson Construction partnered with SVA Architects on the project.

In West Carson, R.D. Olson Construction also broke ground on West Carson Villas, located at 22801 – 22905 S. Vermont Ave., which is being developed by PATH Ventures, a non-profit affordable housing developer in partnership with the Los Angeles County Development Authority. The 111-unit, four-story affordable housing complex features a combination of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans with several ADA compliant units. Amenities include a common room, three conference centers, a yoga flex room, a playground and outdoor seating areas with barbecues. Additionally, the 150,000-square-foot complex includes ground floor parking with 83 parking stalls and 68 bike parking spaces for residents and guests. The project is expected to receive LEED Gold certification, complete with solar hot water panels. R.D. Olson Construction partnered with KFA Architecture and Placed Interior Design on the project.

R.D. Olson Construction has several other affordable housing projects under construction in Los Angeles including West Terrace, Lamp Lodge, Rose Hill Courts and Chesterfield Apartments. Additional multi-unit projects include Fountain Valley Housing, Fullerton Family Housing and The Curve / Crenshaw.

About R.D. Olson Construction

Founded by Bob Olson in 1979 and led by President Bill Wilhelm, R.D. Olson Construction commemorates 43 years of building and is one of the top 40 general contracting firms in California. R.D. Olson Construction is a premier builder of hotel and multi-unit properties for several national hoteliers and developers, including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Ritz Carlton, MBK Living, Related Properties and Meta Housing, and has a robust portfolio of renovation projects including Atria Senior Housing, Chapman University’s Reeves Hall, the conversion of the historic Bank of Italy Building into the Nomad Hotel and more. The firm also has a rich history as a builder of office, retail, restaurant, education, senior living and recreational projects.