Riverside County Agency Approves Land Purchase for New Clinic, Housing Development

The Riverside County Housing Authority last week approved the purchase for $1 million of about five acres of land near the Desert AIDS Project offices in Palm Springs as the site of a new medical clinic and housing for HIV-positive people, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. The county will run the new clinic.

The county plans to sell about half of the land for $350,000 to St. Louis-based developer McCormack Baron Salazar to build the 80-unit Vista Sunrise Apartments, which will include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.

Emilio Ramirez, deputy director of the county housing authority, said construction should begin this fall for the clinic and housing development. Construction of the housing development likely will be complete in about 14 months, Ramirez said.

Margie Francia, associate project manager for McCormack, said the Desert AIDS Project will provide Vista Sunrise tenants with health programs, legal and psychiatric services, support groups, parental assistance, job training, employment counseling and computer classes (Hermann, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 8/2).

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