Sustainable design by AVRP Skyport Studios aids in project’s approval
San Diego, CA, March 3, 2017 – Architect AVRP Skyport Studios and developer Gerber Group are pleased to announce that the proposed Carlsbad Village Lofts received unanimous City Council approval on February 28, 2017. The mixed-use project will revitalize a gateway parcel to Carlsbad Village with market-rate and affordable housing, ground floor retail, public plaza space, and a new pedestrian-friendly street connecting Carlsbad Village Drive to Grand Ave. The development will become a signature project for the City of Carlsbad and a regional model for smart, sustainable growth.
Gerber Group Founder, Evan Gerber, says, “We are very excited about the City Council approval. This success is the result of three years of public outreach to incorporate the community’s input and honor the City of Carlsbad’s sustainability, infill, and affordable housing goals. I commend the entire Carlsbad Village Lofts team on their commitment, vision, and hard work.”
Carlsbad Village Lofts, which will be located at 1044 Carlsbad Village Drive, will occupy a 2.23 acre parcel currently home to a Denny’s restaurant. The development will feature 106 apartments (16 of which will be affordable), approximately 9,500 square feet of ground floor retail space, and 186 parking spaces. Common area amenities for the new apartments will include a fitness center, a rooftop terrace with vegetable gardens, dining areas, BBQ areas, and a communal conference room.
The smart-growth, transit-oriented project also has many sustainable features, including secured bike storage; electric vehicle charging stations; priority parking for low and zero emission vehicles; transportation screens which will broadcast up-to-date times for Coaster, Amtrak, and bus and rideshare programs likes Uber, Lyft, etc.; close proximity to public transportation; and newer energy-efficient building systems. The project has been acknowledged by the US Green Building Council as a model for sustainable growth, and is estimated to be complete in mid-2019.
At the Carlsbad City Council meeting, several project consultants answered questions from City Council members, including Doug Austin, FAIA, the project’s architect; and experts in traffic engineering and sustainability. Council members lauded features of the project, including its inclusion of affordable housing in lieu of paying a fee for its bonus density. Carlsbad Council Member Michael Schumacher complemented AVRP Skyport’s thoughtful design. He noted the craftsman and contemporary design features of the project as complementing the existing craftsman, contemporary, and Victorian architecture in Carlsbad Village.
Overall, AVRP Skyport’s design was praised as exceptional for the site, and as a gateway into Carlsbad Village.
Doug Austin, FAIA, Chairman, Founder and CEO of AVRP Skyport Studios, says, “Carlsbad Village Lofts will transform a blighted site into an invigorated place that encourages walkability and bikability. We are creating a more comfortable and interesting street façade with improved and widened sidewalks, a public plaza, new lighting, and new landscaping. The project is a perfect fit for the activated, cultural center that is Carlsbad Village.”
About AVRP Skyport Studios
AVRP Skyport Studios strives to find and develop an original idea that drives the creative process for each project. Principals Douglas H. Austin, FAIA; Christopher T. Veum, AAIA, IIDA; Randy Robbins, AIA, LEED AP; and Frank Wolden represent award-wining portfolios that have inspired developers and civic leaders to think beyond traditional boundaries to infuse each project with experiential community connections. Celebrating 40 years of creativity and accomplishment in 2016, the firm and its principals have earned nearly 150 design awards. For more information, visit www.avrpstudios.com.
