SANTA CRUZ >> A rare sight can be seen from River Street, the gateway to downtown, as a 10-unit apartment project is under construction at 211 Mora St.
Of 14 development projects under construction in the city as of mid-June, this is the only one designated for apartments though local residents say affordable rentals are very hard to find.
More than 1,900 people have joined a group on Facebook, Santa Cruz County and SLV Rental Listings, run by Summer Finley and Stephanie Fields, a few offering places to rent but most of them searching for a place to live.
Recent posts came from a college student from Poland willing to pay $650 per month for a room, a family of four in Aptos open to paying up to $2,300 and a Soquel family able to pay up to $2,900 a month.
The three-story Mora Street apartments are the latest from developer Joe Quigg, whose Easy Access Development completed Redwood Commons, a 38-unit single-room occupancy rental complex, boutique nine-room hotel Pacific Blue Inn downtown and Courtyard Commons, eight condo units at 605 Pacific Ave.
EECAR Co., which built Courtyard Commons and condos at 1111 Ocean St., is the contractor for the Mora Street apartments.
Manager Eddie Carbajal said the Mora Street development represents an investment of $4.5 million to $5 million.
Each apartment has a balcony, metallic and galvanized, Carbajal pointed out, and residents will have access to carports in the back.
He did not know the rental rate but expects a website for prospective tenants to be available sometime in October and occupancy in January 2016.
He said neighbors welcomed the development.
The site is a hillside property that previously was vacant and required installation of an impressive retaining wall.
Easy Access specializes in higher-density infill development, “creating beauty where the community needs it,” as the company put it, designing “the most efficient and attractive building,” getting permits, preparing construction documents and overseeing construction.
One apartment complex opened in the city this year, 21 units at 110 Lindberg St.
Three apartment developments have been approved by the city: 63 units at 350 Ocean St., 15 units at 716 Darwin St. and 5 units at 618 Windsor.
Other residential developments in the pipeline are single-family homes, condos or accessory dwellings.
