Senior complex to add life to downtown Ontario

It's a response Schultz said, he was hoping for, Schultz said.

"I knew they would lease fast but I did not think they would lease this fast," he said.

hilip Rodman, 57, a resident of the new senior apartments, said he shares the city's vision for the area.

"There's a lot of potential," Rodman said. "We're in the downtown, across from the library, next door to City Hall and brand-new apartments. That's why I thought it would be a great place to live."

Since arriving in late September, Rodman and his wife, Jerii, 63, said they find themselves shopping locally. Their mechanic is just south of them on Holt Boulevard, and they are also walking around the downtown to familiarize themselves with the businesses, he said.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to be in the downtown area," Rodman said.

Page One Café is a favorite of the Rodmans and many of the new tenants. The city-owned restaurant in the Ontario Library actually makes deliveries to apartment residents, the café's only exception, said Rebecca Avila, property manager.

Most of the appeal for the senior apartments is its affordability for those living on a fixed income, Schultz said. 

Often, seniors are paying 50 percent or more of their income at apartments elsewhere in the county, he said.

Rents at the Ontario apartments are at about 30 percent of their annual income based on standards set by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Rents increase or decrease depending on those figures, Garcia said, adding that rates in San Bernardino County have remained flat for the past two years.

Apartments range from $326 to $687 a month, depending on income and the size of the unit. There are 60 affordable one-bedroom units and 15 affordable two-bedroom units, Garcia said.

Building the affordable senior housing had been on hold because of the lack of federal funding, Schultz said.

It wasn't until the city received $11 million in tax credits that the project moved forward. A bank bought the tax credits which helped fund the costs of building the project, Schultz said.

The Ontario Housing Authority subsidized $5 million of the project, while Related Cos. Companies put in $1.4 million, he said.

The tax break means the city and Related will be partners for 55 years. After that, the building will belong to the city, Schultz said.

The timing of the tax break, Schultz said, was somewhat of a miracle. The city had twice been denied but on the third attempt was finally accepted.

"We were in competition with all of San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial counties," he said. "Our county is really competitive when it comes to affordable housing."

Months before the building was complete, Garcia and his staff opened the leasing office to start accepting applicants.

"I'm impressed with this city. It's been a great partnership, and (City Center) has been an easy sell," Garcia said. "Ontario has a great reputation as a bedroom community."

About 60 percent of the apartment's residents came from Ontario, Schultz said.

The apartments have already had two openings; one tenant had to leave for medical reasons and another for financial reasons, he said.

Now that the building is completed, Garcia said Related Cos. is committed to maintaining the building and making improvements as needed.

And the quality of the building is comparable to the new apartments and townhomes just to the south, Schultz said.

"You won't find anything like this with this quality," he said.

The first floor has a television room equipped with a flat-screen TV and theater-style seating. 

There are also seven apartments on the first floor. The parking garage occupies the remaining east side of the first floor.

There are 34 apartments each on the second and third floors. The building has a laundry room and fitness room.

The television room is popular among the seniors on Sundays and on Monday nights for football, Avila said. 

Around the corner from the television room is the community room where residents assemble at least once a month for meetings. The residents took the initiative to adorn the room in Christmas decorations and hold a potluck, Avila said. 

Last month, Rodman and Avila prepared Thanksgiving dinner for more than two dozen residents who didn't have any family plans.

Every Sunday, the couple meets with about a dozen residents in the community room. 

And the sense of community extends to the staff, Avila said.

"I get food at my office all the time," she said. "You name it, they've brought it to us."

Avila isn't the only one who's benefited from the seniors offerings. Brandon Hausauer, the building's maintenance supervisor, lives in the building and said he often finds food left in front of his door.

"We've adopted Brandon, I always give him some peach cobbler," Jerii Rodman said.

More than a year ago, the couple didn't have a place to call home. They were sleeping in a local motel and sometimes even in their car in town.

In 2008 the couple, who were both in the entertainment business, saw their jobs downsized.

Then one day, Philip said, he spotted construction crews working on the City Center Senior Apartments and inquired about rent possibilities. He found out that the 75 apartments were set for low-income housing. After a lengthy application process, the Rodmans were accepted.

"It's hard to put it into words. When you open that door, it's home. This is our home," Philip said.