Toll Brothers Apartment Living, with partner EJF Capital, has broken ground on Rafferty, a 223,569-square-foot mixed-use multifamily development in Santa Ana, California. This project marks the second Toll Brothers Apartment Living community in Orange County following the recent completion of Cameo in Orange.
In the heart of downtown Santa Ana, Rafferty will include two adjacent mid-rise buildings with 218 apartments featuring studio, one-, and two-bedroom floor plans with both market-rate and affordable options and will be home to more than 12,300 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. The development is expected to begin leasing in 2023.
“Rafferty’s groundbreaking marks a significant moment for Santa Ana as the first luxury multifamily community to be built here in decades,” said Charles Elliott, president of Toll Brothers Living, the rental subsidiary of leading home builder Toll Brothers. “We are excited to be a part of this vibrant neighborhood and contributing to the growing demand for a city center.”
The mixed-use development will be located on the historic site of the headquarters of the First American Title Co., formerly known as the Orange County Title Co. Toll Brothers Apartment Living is working with Preserve Orange County and the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society to preserve parts of the original building’s art deco facade in the mixed-use design. Designed by MVE + Partners, an Orange County-based architecture, planning, interior, and urban design firm, the development also will draw architecture and design inspiration from the surrounding neighborhood and structures.
“We’re honored to partner with Toll Brothers Apartment Living to introduce a walkable and lively mixed-use community that will infuse energy into Orange County’s urban core and bring much-anticipated housing options for young professionals working in the area,” said Pieter Berger, senior associate partner at MVE + Partners. “Rafferty will complement the existing sophisticated grid that makes up the urban fabric and social hub of the downtown Santa Ana community.”
Each apartment at Rafferty will be curated with modern design elements, including stainless steel appliances, wood-style flooring in living areas, quartz countertops, plush carpet in bedrooms, keyless entries, and smart thermostats. Community amenities will include an expansive fitness center, a resident clubroom, co-working spaces, a resort-style pool, communitywide Wi-Fi, and an exclusive rooftop deck overlooking the neighboring 4th Street Market and offering views of the Newport Beach coast and Catalina Island.
Additional partners on the development include MJS Landscape Architects and interior architecture and planning firm H. Hendy Associates.
