The expected opening date for the Alexander Station Apartments, the 262-unit affordable apartment complex on Alexander Street has been delayed again. The Rental staff now hope the apartments will open in late September.
Despite the latest delay, rental applications at Alexander Station are still coming in—anywhere from 100 to 150 new inquiries a day. So far, more than 5,000 potential residents have sent in applications since last summer.
“Because of the delay, we’re not sure how many applicants will still be interested,” said rental agent Laura Cortez from the Alexander Station rental office at 555 Mayock Road. “We’re still taking applications, and we’re putting them on a wait list.”
Estimations about when Alexander Station will open have varied. In July, Pacific Companies Chief Portfolio Officer Denise Carter estimated that Pacific West Builders would complete the project in mid-2018. Amanda Sanders, District Manager for US Residential, said in an email in October that the project would open In January.
“We were told that there was a shortage of workers,” Cortez said of the delay.
Last year’s heavy rains delayed construction for months. Buckling floors necessitated repairs, further complicating an already complicated $95 million project.
Despite complaints about the scope and design of the project, Alexander Station is expected to fill a gap in the need for affordable housing in southern Santa Clara County. Rents at Alexander Station will range from $1,076 to $1,300 for a one-bedroom unit and $1,650 to $1,997 for a four-bedroom unit. According to rentcafe.com, the average rent in Santa Clara County for all rentals is $2,706.
While filling an affordable niche, rumors regarding Alexander Station have swirled since Pacific West broke ground on the project. Townwide social media buzz has speculated that residents would be bused in from the Bay Area.
Gilroyans raised other concerns over parking, traffic, and a glut of new students into the Gilroy Unified School District. As questions go unresolved, work has progressed, and the exterior of the northern building at the corner of Alexander and East Tenth Streets is completed.
In November property management for Alexander Station was transferred from US Residential to Aperto Property Management Inc. Sanders remains property manager for the property.
