The Becker, a $140 million affordable housing complex in Mission Valley, Calif. Has broken ground, announced MVE+Partners. The complex is part of the transformative $4 billion Riverwalk development in San Diego, a dynamic mixed-use and recreational project master-planned by MVE that will convert a former golf course into a 195-acre mixed-use transit-oriented development.
The Becker is the first phase of Riverwalk’s affordable component and will be the first housing project to open within the development.
“We are ecstatic to see The Becker come to life,” said Chase Rongé, principal and director of the San Diego Studio at MVE + Partners. “The Becker is the first project that our new San Diego office will be taking through construction, and we look forward to seeing its positive impact on the community.”
The Becker project is located at 6364 Village Dr, in San Diego and was developed in partnership with developer Wakeland Housing and general contractor Level 10 Construction. It is named after the late Evan Becker, an affordable housing advocate who was head of San Diego Housing Commission in 1988 and served in leadership positions across housing organizations until 2024.
Serving as the project’s design architect as well as the architect of record, MVE created a design that complements the architecture of the overall Riverwalk development, featuring brick, metal and glass materials, creating an appealing modern and comforting atmosphere.
Spanning 227,000 square feet, the development consists of three apartment buildings collectively comprised of 190 units. The four and five-story buildings are dedicated to tenants making between 30% to 60% of the area median income (AMI) and will feature varying floor plans including 46 one-bedroom, 89 two-bedroom and 55 three-bedroom units. The buildings also include thoughtful and utilitarian amenities including a second-floor courtyard and play area; community room with a kitchen and computer stations; central laundry and onsite leasing office alongside 95 bike spaces and 100 parking spaces — some including EV chargers.
To support San Diego’s Climate Action Plan, the buildings will be equipped with numerous sustainability features to help protect the local ecology including rooftop solar electric panels, cool roofing materials, drought tolerant native plants alongside low VOC materials and daylighting to leverage renewable energy and reduce HVAC loads. In September 2023, Riverwalk Phase One received a $41.1M Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) grant, with $30M supporting the development of The Becker, the largest given by AHSC.
The Becker provides convenient access to all other components of Riverwalk’s development which will bring a total of up to 4,300 residential units (430 affordable), 150,000 square feet of retail, one million square feet of Class A office space and 97 acres of open space. A new transit stop will also be incorporated, strengthening the region’s public transportation system while offering access to more economic opportunities.
The Becker is expected to be completed in 2027.
