photos courtesy of TensSpace
In Comstock’s October 25, 2017 article, Mixed-Income Apartment Project Coming to Downtown Stockton, Zack Quaintance reports about the Medici Artists Lofts in Stockton, Ca. Here is an excerpt from the article:
The Medico-Dental Building in Stockton, one of the city’s defining structures since it was built roughly 90 years ago, is about to undergo a rebirth as mixed-income apartment housing with retail on the ground level and a theme designed to attract artists.
The building is being given new life thanks to a joint venture between the Housing Authority of the County of San Joaquin, Ten Space Development and DFA Development, which was the same developer for Cal Weber 40, another refurbishment project that converted old buildings in Stockton’s downtown into housing. This latest project is called The Medici Artist Lofts, a name that Chris Flaherty of DFA Development says pays homage to the building’s previous name, containing elements of both medical and dental, and an allusion to the House of Medici, one of the Italian royal families that helped give birth to the Renaissance.
The Medici Artist Lofts project consists of 33 total units, 27 of which will be considered affordable housing, meaning they will be reserved for residents and families who earn between 30-60 percent of the countywide median income. The remaining six units will be rented at market rate, earning the project the designation of mixed-income. The entire building will be geared toward residents who live the art life, and because of this it will feature amenities such as gallery space and an area for receptions and other events aimed at cultivating Stockton’s creative culture.
“For aspiring artists, it’s very difficult for them to practice and hone their crafts and hold down a job that would pay as much as they would need to afford housing,” Flaherty says.
