Potential tenants can earn no more than 60% of Flagstaff’s median income.
Sierra on 66, a new affordable apartment development west of Woody Mountain Road, is putting a dent in Flagstaff’s housing shortage.
The 221-unit apartment complex includes seven buildings on a 12-acre site at South Alvan Clark Boulevard and West Highway 66. It could accommodate more than 400 residents when fully occupied.
The developer, Roers Cos. of Minnesota, built Sierra on 66 in a public-private partnership. Development costs for the three-story buildings totaled $93.7 million.
The City of Flagstaff provided $1.1 million in funding and Arizona Department of Housing added $4 million.
“There’s a massive need for affordable housing in Flagstaff,” said Kevin Sturgeon, Roers lead developer. “So naturally, we try to be a solution to that, to chip away at that.”
Sierra on 66 provides stability for affordable-housing tenants, he said at a grand opening event in December that included Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet.
She congratulated the development partners and said Sierra on 66 is “an important milestone for Flagstaff… What a great day!”
Sturgeon noted “these apartments are a stepping stone, in a way, for tenants, for entry level workforce people – teachers, police officers, single parents.”
Flagstaff Housing Commission Vice Chair Tyler Denham said Sierra on 66 is one component of new housing for lower-income residents.
“We still a have a long way to go until affordable housing is broadly available in Flagstaff,” said Denham, executive director of Flagstaff for Affordable Housing, a nonprofit group established in June.
Tenants started moving in Oct. 1. Thirty-one apartments were occupied as of early December and 62 units have been leased, said Sierra on 66 Property Manager Roxana Hendricks.
“We hope to be fully occupied by early spring,” Sturgeon said.
Sierra on 66 includes:
- 15 one-bedroom apartments of 645 square feet, renting for $1,227.
- 113 two-bedroom apartments of 820 square feet, renting for $1,473.
- 93 three-bedroom apartments of 1,082 square feet, renting for $1,701.
Potential tenants can earn no more than 60% of Flagstaff’s median income. That ranges from $45,840 for a single occupant to $65,460 for a four-person household. Tenants must earn at least double the monthly rent. Utilities are included in the rental price.
Sierra on 66 apartments feature air conditioning, bedroom ceiling fans, stainless steel appliances, vinyl plank flooring, window coverings and in-unit washers and dryers for a rental fee in some units.
Other amenities are a community laundry room, a fitness center, dog run, firepits, barbecue grills, bocce ball court and a tot lot – a smaller-scale playground for younger children.
Covered parking is available under awnings with solar panels. The solar electric system of 879 kilowatts was installed by Commercial Solar Arizona of Scottsdale. It provides enough power to serve about 140 average U.S. homes, according to industry estimates.
“Over the years you’ve probably seen affordable developments really improve,” Sturgeon said. “They look indistinguishable from market-rate communities.”
Kaas Wilson Architects of Phoenix designed Sierra on 66.
Roers has built market-rate apartments since 2012 and began developing affordable housing six years ago. The company, with an office in Phoenix, has developed 10 affordable housing projects in Arizona since 2022, with a total of 2,040 apartments. All received Arizona Department of Housingfunding.
The public sector financial incentives allow developers to build higher quality apartments and offsets some of the higher costs of building in Flagstaff, Sturgeon said.
Rocky soil and subcontractors traveling from Phoenix push up building costs, he said.
Roers is eligible for $4.26 million of tax credits annually for a decade. The credits can be sold to tax credit investors for 85 cents on the dollar.
Sierra on 66 is part of Timber Sky, a broader development that includes a Habitat for Humanity project of starter homes and market-rate homes starting at $650,000.
After years of planning and construction, it feels good to reach the finish line to open Sierra on 66, Sturgeon said. “It’s cool to see it finally come to fruition…Four or five years later, it’s good to see tenants moving in.” FBN
By Peter Corbett, FBN
Photo by Peter Corbett: Ron Alexander of Kaas Wilson Architects (left) with Kevin Sturgeon, Roers Cos. lead developer, toured the Sierra on 66 apartments.
