“Star Wars” creator George Lucas has submitted plans to the Marin County (Calif.) Development Agency to build 224 units of affordable workforce and senior housing on 52 acres at Grady Ranch.
This proposal is the latest broadside in an ongoing battle between Lucas and residents of this affluent neighborhood who, in the past, have blocked Lucas’s efforts to expand his production company, Lucasfilms. Two years years ago, Lucas also encountered opposition to his plan to sell land at Grady Ranch to a developer for affordable housing.
Lucas, who has owned land in Marin County since 1978 (that property is called Skywalker Ranch), said he would build the housing himself, but that project lost its financial backing in 2013. The Marin Independent Journal reported at the time that the costs for the project would fall somewhere between $120 million and $150 million.
Now, Lucas—whom Forbes estimates is worth $5.1 billion—says he will finance 100% of the housing project, according to Gary Giacomini, former county supervisor and an attorney for Skywalker Properties.
The initial reactions to Lucas’s latest proposal have been mixed, with one local supervisor worrying about the “cumulative impact” of a project that large on the community. Other supervisors see the proposal as an opportunity to make a dent in the county’s shortage of affordable housing. Thomas Peters, CEO of the Marin Community Foundation, called Lucas’ plan an “extraordinary offer” that underscores the filmmaker’s commitment to the housing needs of the vibrant workforce that drives the region’s vitality. (Ironically, the Foundation was the financial backer that bailed on Lucas’s housing plans two years ago.)
Lucas’s proposal call for 120 two- and three-bedroom workforce rental homes in one four-story cluster and two two-story clusters. There would also be 104 one- and two-bedroom residences for seniors in a four-story cluster, according to the Independent Journal. Zoning at Grady Ranch allows for up to 324 homes at this site, which is where Lucas had originally intended to expand his studio facilities.
The architect for this project is Robert W. Hayes of Sausalito, and the project is being coordinated and managed by PEP Housing of Petaluma, which developed Toussin Senior Apartments, an affordable complex that Hayes had designed.
Applicants for the workforce housing need to be earning less than 80% of the market’s median household income. The seniors applying for housing need to fall within 30% and 60% of that median. Quoting Census estimates, the Washington Post reports that 7.7% of the county’s residences live below its $90,839 median income level.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Apr 15, 2020
Related Group picks Stantec to design and engineer Manor Miramar residences in Florida
Related Group picks Stantec to design and engineer Manor Miramar residences in Florida.
Coronavirus | Apr 5, 2020
COVID-19: Most multifamily contractors experiencing delays in projects due to coronavirus pandemic
The NMHC Construction Survey is intended to gauge the magnitude of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak on multifamily construction.
Plumbing | Mar 13, 2020
Pioneer Industries launches new website
Pioneer Industries launches new website
Multifamily Housing | Mar 5, 2020
The Aviator apartment community opens near Henderson Executive Airport
The community is inspired by antique airplane designs.
Building Materials | Mar 3, 2020
84 Lumber President Maggie Hardy Knox receives Career Achievement Award
Maggie Hardy Knox, President of 84 Lumber and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, to receive Career Achievement Award.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 26, 2020
School districts in California are stepping in to provide affordable housing for faculty and staff
One high school district in Daly City has broken ground on 122-apartment building.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 23, 2020
A post-storm Puerto Rico reconsiders how and what to rebuild
Federal help means tougher code enforcement. And will this island of homeowners embrace renting?