National CORE and Prima Development Break Ground on 202 Affordable Units in El Monte

Developers National CORE and Prima Development have initiated construction on Esperanza Village, a 202-unit affordable housing development situated on the eastern 8.2 acres of the former MacLaren Children's Center in El Monte.

Designed by AC Martin, the Mission-style complex will consist of three-story buildings containing a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments alongside an on-site community health center. The residential units are designated for households earning between 30% and 70% of the area median income. The program splits occupancy evenly, reserving roughly half the units for families and the other half for seniors aged 62 and older.

The groundbreaking coincides with the debut of the adjacent Hilda L. Solis Community Park along Gilman Road and Durfee Avenue. Both developments repurpose the former county foster youth facility site, which closed in the early 2000s.

For multifamily developers and public-private finance partners, the project highlights the ongoing viability of converting surplus county-owned parcels into large-scale, master-planned affordable housing paired with public civic infrastructure.