George Gekakis, Inc

General Contractor and Developer

McKnight Senior Village I

McKnight Senior Village I is currently undergoing a rehabilitation, including new interior and exterior paint, cabinet faces, vinyl wood flooring, window blinds, Energy Star dishwasher and refrigerator, microwave, range, and covered parking. An awarding of HOME/RDA redevelopment funds was received from City of Las Vegas to bring this rehab work to fruition.

The project recently received a second awarding of RDA/HOME funds from City of Las Vegas, allowing for additional work to bring this community to the most current design and energy efficient standards.

  • McKnight Senior Village I

Santa Barbara Palms Apartments: Now Complete!

At Santa Barbara Palms, 72 units of affordable senior rental housing began construction in April 2011, the first phase of a 114 unit community. Configured with two-bedroom units of 978 square feet, this new complex adds much needed affordable housing to the east side of the Las Vegas Valley, at the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Santa Barbara Street, just west of the US 95/515 Highway. The site is located in a mature neighborhood where area residents can age-in-place. Retail, banking, grocery shopping, medical offices and public transportation are all close at hand.

Santa Barbara Palms includes an over 8,000 square foot recreational clubhouse with full kitchen, media/library room, computer/business center, wellness room, laundry rooms, crafts room, billiards room, solar-heated outdoor pool, spa, and fitness center.

The new 3-story building has elevator access, and units are configured as two-bedroom floor plans, with washer/dryer hook-up, and hook-up for broadband internet access. There are balconies, or patios (on the first floor) with exterior storage. The entire building has ENERGY STAR conservation and green building features throughout, including the use of low or no VOC compounds, tankless hot water heaters, triple pane low E windows, as well as the installation of photovoltaic that offset energy demand.

This project won National Association of Home Builder’s BEST OF 50+ HOUSING Gold Achievement Award for “On-the Boards” Affordable Rental Category in 2008

  • Santa Barbara Palms Apartments

Property Focus: Sunrise Senior Village

Over the course of the next several newsletters, we will introduce you, or in some cases, re-introduce you, to one of our apartment communities in greater depth.

GGI was founded in Shreveport, LA in 1981, building residential and commercial buildings. In 1989, it expanded its operations to Las Vegas, NV. By the mid-90’s, GGI recognized the need for quality senior affordable housing, and began developing and building apartments for this segment of the population. Today, GGI has built over 1,000 units, representing our commitment to creating a better life for low-income seniors in Southern Nevada.

One of the early projects we developed and built was Sunrise Senior Village, sister property to McKnight Senior Village, now undergoing a rehab effort.

Developed and built in 1997/8, Sunrise is located at 571 North 30th Street, just north of downtown Las Vegas. The community includes 90 one-bedroom cottage-style, single-story apartments. Designed by G.C. Wallace, this style of residence represents the look and feel of a smaller home, which many seniors enjoy. Through the years, we have incorporated more green features, including water conserving desert landscaping.

The property has a community clubhouse building used for social activities and events, health screenings, food distribution. An on-site resident manager works with our non-profit partner, Silver State Housing, to bring numerous supportive services to our residents.
Sunrise Senior Village received an allocation of over $500,000 in tax credits by the Nevada Housing Division in 1996. Construction began on the 4.6 acre site in 1997 and the property was placed in service in November 1998.

The property is in very close proximity to shopping centers that include retail, grocery shopping, pharmacy, banking, health care, restaurants, post office, public transportation and a neighborhood Starbuck’s. Within a 1/2 mile is Freedom Park, a Clark County Parks and Recreation facility.

Sunrise Senior Village continues to be a successful community with stable occupancy, a peaceful and cheerful home to our senior residents.

What’s developing… An Intergenerational Experience

Daniel_Sanchez1Affordable housing is not only important, but essential, in today’s economy. Were it not for the organizations that develop and build this type of housing, where would people live and find shelter who cannot otherwise afford homes, or market rate apartment dwellings? This is an especially critical issue where seniors are concerned, as the general population in the U.S. ages quickly, and many are on fixed income or disability.

Developments for seniors aged 55+ have played an essential part in providing safe, quality and affordable dwellings. Successful developments offer supportive services that increase economic stability and a focus on continuing physical health.
But, it is also critical to promote emotional health, and well-being, and one excellent way is through intergenerational activity. Seniors flourish with opportunities to engage with the community at large, and not only with their peers. Certainly, many seniors who live in 55+ communities live near and visit with family or friends, but many do not. Everyone, no matter their age, wants to feel included.
Recently, we had the opportunity to engage the volunteer services of a young man at our Santa Barbara Palms apartments. Actually, he came to us, looking for work to complete the “community service” portion of his school curriculum at Southwest Career Technical Academy. Just 17, Daniel Sanchez was ready and willing to work. He helped as a porter at the property, getting to know the residents, lending a helping hand wherever one was needed.
Daniel was at the property from February 11 to April 9, and on his last day, management gave him a Certificate of Appreciation, and residents joined him in a celebration and photo op. For many of the seniors, he was the age of a grandchild, and his friendly, youthful presence was enjoyed and appreciated. “This type of intergenerational experience is a benefit to all, keeping us learning and  growing as well!” states Lori Muehlhausen, executive director of our non-profit sponsor,  Silver State Housing.

Daniel_Sanchez3

Good news from the hill

The EXPIRE Act of 2014 is a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, including the 9% credit rate freeze for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC).

LIHTC provides a tax credit over a period of ten years after a housing facility occupied by low-income tenants is placed-in-service. In 2008, Congress adjusted the formula and set a minimum credit amount of 9%, based on the original credit rate of the program. The provision was to expire at the end of 2013, but was extended for housing credit dollars allocated before January 2014.

In April, the Senate Finance Committee led the effort to extend once again, this time until 2016, approving the “tax extenders” by bipartisan vote. Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., stated, “It makes no sense to let these incentives disappear without a comprehensive reform proposal to replace them when jobs, innovation and research, and people’s homes are on the line.”

In May, the Senate voted to advance the bill, but now it moves to the House. EXPIRE still has a long way to go, but for those of us committed to the affordable housing effort, it represents good news from the Hill!