September 30, 2009
TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY
Dear Colleagues:
I am writing to update you on the progress of our Sierra Madre Family Apartments project, located on the North Campus adjacent to Storke Road. This project, expected to be completed in 2011, will provide 151 units of affordable rental housing for student families, staff, and faculty.
Upon the recommendation of our selection committee, The Towbes Group has been selected as the third-party developer for this important project. The Towbes Group, based in Santa Barbara, has been building and managing apartment complexes in our region for over 50 years. Eight of their apartment complexes are in the Goleta/Santa Barbara area, including Willow Springs, Sumida Gardens, and Pacific Oaks.
The Towbes Group will be providing the financing for this project and will own and manage the apartments. No campus funds are involved.
Providing access to affordable housing with high quality of living for our students, staff, and faculty is a top priority for UC Santa Barbara. I extend my sincere thanks to our colleagues on the committee, and to all those who have contributed their time, energy, and expertise to this important endeavor. The list of members is shown below.
We are pleased to be moving forward with this exciting project to help our campus meet its housing goals.
Sincerely,
Henry T. Yang
Chancellor
Sierra Madre Housing Developer Selection Committee
Joel Michaelsen (Co-Chair), Chair, Academic Senate; Professor, Geography
Todd Lee (Co-Chair), Assistant Chancellor, Budget and Planning
Diana Dyste Anzures, Family Student Housing and Graduate Students Association Representative
Henning Bohn, Vice Chair, Academic Senate; Professor, Economics
Stephanie Dorward, Real Estate Officer, UC Office of the President
Marc Fisher, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor, Administrative Services
Richard Watts, Faculty Advisor to the Chancellor
Laurel Wilder, Staff Representative; Assistant Director, Institutional Research and Planning