Tempe, AZ – New affordable apartments, and townhomes for purchase. A community-centered health clinic. Neighborhood gathering spaces. A busy hub that encourages light rail.  

La Victoria Commons is expected to transform vacant city-owned property into a dynamic new housing development in the Apache Corridor with benefits for both the surrounding neighborhood and entire city.

On Thursday, the City Council approved ground leases for the unique project that includes nearly 125 new affordable rental and homeownership opportunities. The action follows last year’s development agreement with Copa Health and Newtown Community Development Corporation to lease and develop the property near Apache Boulevard and the Price 101 Freeway.

La Victoria Commons is coming to fruition as a result of the city’s innovative Hometown for All initiative, which accelerates the growth of affordable housing in Tempe through myriad strategies. Among those is reimaging city-owned property alongside development partners.

“Hometown for All is designed to create the next generation of affordable housing so that anyone who wants to call Tempe home is able to do just that,” said Mayor Corey Woods. “La Victoria Commons is a shining example of what innovation and imagination can bring to increase housing opportunity and create new community amenities while also enhancing our Apache Corridor.”

La Victoria Commons, named after the Victory Acres neighborhood, is expected to break ground in the coming weeks. The 2.6-acre property is located at the northeast corner of Apache Boulevard and the Price 101 Freeway. The development calls for:

• A 104-unit, multi-story apartment community with affordable rents located at the southern end of property, along Apache Blvd. The complex would serve low-incomed households, such as a four-person household with an income between approximately $30,000 and $74,000.
• Nineteen townhomes for sale to income-qualified households at the northern end of property, along McArthur Drive.
• One, two and three-bedroom options for both the rental units and townhomes.
• A health clinic open to the entire community, community room and café.
• Employment opportunities for Copa Health members.
• Promotion of light rail use by residents

“La Victoria Commons is the result of a great partnership with the City of Tempe, Newtown CDC, the Tempe Coalition for Affordable Housing and city’s Hometown for All effort. This innovative partnership that combines low-income rental units, a great community space, a Copa Health Integrated Clinic, a Copa member run café and for sale townhome units will be a model for low-income housing tax credit programs going forward,” said Norm Duvé, Vice President of Community Relations for Copa Health.

Hometown for All

Approved by the City Council in 2021, Hometown for All creates a dedicated funding stream to expand affordable housing options. For every new development project built in Tempe, an amount equivalent to 50% of certain permitting fees paid to the city’s general fund goes to support the nonprofit Tempe Coalition for Affordable Housing (TCAH). Those funds are used to purchase properties and land and reimagine city-owned property. Hometown for All is also designed to encourage new donations from developers to support the city’s work.   

Coupled with the city-adopted Affordable Housing Strategy, Hometown for All is helping to ensure the expansion of housing opportunity in Tempe. To date, the initiative has resulted in $6.7 million in city investments, $3.7 million in donations received and $15.5 million in donations pledged. Track the progress of Hometown for All on the city’s public dashboard.

Hometown for All funds have been used to support site preparation work such as archeological assessments on city-owned properties, including the LaVictoria Commons site.

Apache Corridor

La Victoria Commons is one of several projects slated to breathe new life into the Apache Corridor.  Several are located to the west, near Apache Boulevard and Dorsey Lane.

• The city-owned Apache Central Center, former site of the Food City, and adjacent parcels are being redeveloped as a housing, retail and grocery hub easily accessed by light rail. As many as 400 mixed-income units are planned at the site.
• Vacant land purchased by TCAH using approximately $2.7 million in funds generated through Hometown for All will expand housing. TCAH will seek a development partner to create 40-50 affordably priced rental units at the site.
• EnVision Center, opening in a renovated city building, will serve as a one-stop resource hub for the area and entire Tempe community. The center is designed to improve residents’ self-sufficiency, quality of life and emergency preparedness through city and community resources coordinated by the Community Health and Human Services Department and Sustainability and Resilience Office.