By Holly Schroeder, President & CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp.
When workers were asked to stay away from their offices in 2020, it set off a domino effect that will likely change the future of office space. Working from home allowed people to reexamine their priorities. Many decided that they wanted more space, including home offices, backyards, and extra bedrooms. So off they went to the suburbs… including the Santa Clarita Valley!
Compared to greater L.A. County, our region is rapidly expanding its population. Recently, the growth of population in the SCV has been accelerating, pushing upwards the demand for more housing, business in-migration, and new business formation.
New residents are finding homes in part thanks to two master-planned sustainable communities within the SCV: Vista Canyon and FivePoint Valencia. These communities appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers because they offer options ranging from apartments to town homes, small single-family homes to larger estate homes. They will also offer parks, trails, walking paths, and the good schools that the Santa Clarita Valley is known for.
Vista Canyon is a new live, work and play community that reimagines the suburban experience, combining the openness and nature of the Southern California lifestyle with the added benefit of offering a mass transit embedded Metrolink commuter rail station and a pedestrian oriented Main Street filled with shops and restaurants. In short it will offer a car optional oasis for residents, a priceless amenity in greater Los Angeles. Office buildings built will all contain energy efficiency elements such as special window shading features and eco-friendly materials. They will also have operable windows to allow for natural ventilation, a plus in this post pandemic world that allows for fresh air circulation into the buildings.
FivePoint Valencia is just starting to come online, and is expected to become the largest net zero greenhouse gas emission community of its kind in America. To help lower emissions, homes will have plug-in connections for electric vehicles, plus pathways and parking spots for golf cart travel within the community. All homes will be equipped with solar panels. The first homes are presently being built with a target move ins beginning later this summer.
These projects represent the culmination of years of effort to address a critical need for housing in the region.
For more information, contact the SCVEDC at SCVEDC.org or call 661-288-4400.
