Property Profile: Hana Gardens (El Cerrito)

El Cerrito’s Hana Gardens offers senior housing while honoring the area’s Japanese heritage. The project preserves a single-story stone-faced former Contra Costa Florist Shop by transforming it into a resident community room. Eden Housing partnered with the Japanese American Citizens League and the El Cerrito Historical Society to honor Japanese influence on the flower industry – and people interned during World War II – with interpretive panels in the beautiful Japanese Heritage Plaza and a timeline along the sidewalk.

The four-story development includes 1,997 square feet of street-level commercial space, which Eden has leased to the El Cerrito Senior Center. The building boasts two community rooms, a gym, a computer lab and raised garden beds. Half of the units are fully accessible to people with disabilities. The project exceeds Title 24’s energy and resource efficiency thresholds and scores over 115 points on the Green Point Rating. Its solar panels reduce the common area electric costs by 70%, and solar hot water panels will reduce the building’s gas requirements by at least 50%.