The Davis City Council has approved the construction of a mixed-use housing project in South Davis. The project is expected to add more housing and office space to University Research Park which already hosts several companies like Marrone Bio Innovations, Bioconsortia Inc., and Novozymes Inc.
In a statement on the project, Mark Friedman of Fulcrum Property, the project developer said the housing projects target those working at the research part as well as those working in companies that are considering relocation to the place.
The project will sit on a 4.5-acre piece of land on Research Park Drive north of Holiday Inn Express. The mixed-use housing project will be made up of four buildings, each with four floors of apartment units. The ground floor will be used for office and technology space.
The project will include 26,912 square feet of office and open tech space which will also accommodate 160 studios. It will have both one and two-bedroom residential units.
While presenting the project to the council, Friedman said the project is a success to University Research Park. He noted that the site for the mixed-use housing project was acquired in 2015 and has since managed to attract very qualified research and development companies. He noted that their main agenda is to continue offering office space, lab space, and all amenities that will make a vibrant and more desirable park.
The main aim of the mixed-use housing project according to Friedman is designed to offer people an opportunity to live close where to their working station. The Davis Planning Commission had written to the City Council for approval of the project. The project ran into some opposition with some commissioners opposing the affordable housing part of the project.
In their argument, some commissioners said the affordable housing part would instead contribute $600,000 towards the city’s affordable housing trust fund.
