Greenbelt Alliance is excited to announce that the Santa Clara City Council has approved the Agrihood project! This innovative project provides 361 new homes—half of which will be affordable—as well as community spaces and a teaching farm on a 5.8-acre infill site in the center of the city.
The Agrihood will include a mix of townhomes, senior housing, and multifamily apartments, with 163 homes reserved for low-income residents, as well as homes reserved for seniors and veterans. This range of affordability helps ensure the Agrihood will be a benefit to all Santa Clara residents, and serve as a microcosm of the dynamic diversity of the Bay Area as a whole. The project is expected to receive funds from Measure A, the $1 billion affordable housing bond voters across Santa Clara County approved in 2016.
The project will breathe new life into the site of the shuttered Bay Area Research and Extension Center (BAREC), a decommissioned agricultural research institute for the UC Extension program that has been sitting vacant for many years. The Agrihood project will allow residents easy access to multiple VTA bus lines and a wealth of nearby amenities, including the Westfield Valley Fair shopping center, which is a mere 650 feet away.
To further fuel the creation of a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, the plans include dedicated space for retail and non-profit rentals on the ground floor, as well as open space areas and community facilities. And in honor of the site’s agricultural heritage, the Agrihood will also contain an approximately 1-acre farm, providing fresh produce for the residents and educational opportunities in urban agriculture for nearby schools. The Project for Public Spaces (PPS) was retained to create a compelling placemaking strategy for the site.
Between the obvious focus on building community, the impressive 50 percent of homes designated as affordable, and the walkable, transit-served location, it’s clear the Agrihood will be a wonderful addition to the City of Santa Clara. The Core Companies, who are developing the Agrihood, have created a wonderful example of a project that supports the local economy, relieves development pressure on the region’s open spaces, and puts people first. Greenbelt Alliance is thrilled to endorse this project.
Thanks to everyone who has come together to help shape this project over the last several years.
Learn more about our Endorsement Program here.
Image: The Core Companies
