By Linda Mele, Primus Building Solutions and Melissa Rain & April Cohee, CVC Property Management

As most of you know, there have been many sights and sounds in the CVC community, more specifically, at one of our Veteran buildings, the Plaza de Cabrillo. The building has been undergoing much needed renovations that began January of this year. Williams Street has been filled with moving vans and construction trucks coming and going on a regular basis. The parking spaces are filled, loud noise pierce through the windows of the Plaza from 9am to 4pm Monday through Friday. Construction is in full swing now, with work inside the units being performed in 16 phases. Phase 6 was complete as of May 21, 2021 with a total of 46 units having renovations completed.

The hustle and bustle will not go in vein. This renovation is allowing us the opportunity to restore and revamp the plumbing along with the transforming the kitchenettes and bathrooms.

All 204 units (including individual and suite units) are receiving remodeled kitchens with new cabinets, countertops, sinks, appliances, and range hoods. Bathrooms are receiving new sinks, counters, and toilets. New plumbing in the walls is being installed for these new items, and each unit will now have its own water shutoff valve to make plumbing repairs less disruptive to other tenants in the building. The units are also receiving new entry door locks and smoke alarms.

Fourteen units are also receiving a remodel to make them fully accessible to meet the current requirement for the proportion of units that are accessible. In those units, a roll-in shower will be installed and interior walls are being moved to create the required space for wheelchair access. Restrooms in the suites will also be reconfigured to meet accessibility standards.

See below for information about other work you may have seen in progress or that you may see soon:

• Construction of new accessible ramps from the building exits will start construction in mid-June. The building exit ramps on the Williams St. side of the building will be demolished and rebuilt first. The building exit ramps on the Willard St. of the building will then follow. Work is expected to take several weeks for each side of the building and will require rerouting pedestrians for safety reasons. Please follow all safety directions as you walk in these areas while this work is going on!
• The elevator in the west wing is under renovation now, and the east wing elevator will be renovated when units in that wing begin construction.
• A new boiler has been installed on the roof of the west wing (you may have seen the crane a couple of weeks ago!). The boiler on the roof of the east wing will be replaced later, when units in the east wing are being renovated.
• Exterior painting was completed earlier this year.
• Later this year, new landscape planting and concrete in the courtyard will be installed, and the cooling tower equipment in the parking lot behind the building will be upgraded.

At this time, all work is on schedule and CVC staff, Century’s development team, Walton Construction, and Relativity Architects are working hard to keep the project on track in the hopes of finishing everything before the holidays. We look forward to seeing the completion of this project for your use and enjoyment!

Next time you are taking your daily stroll be sure to take a glance at the Plaza’s progress.

Please be mindful that the renovation is projected to continue until approximately November. We appreciate all your patience throughout the process, and we hope you are enjoying your newly renovated studio. Feel free to contact any staff from the Plaza Relocation Team or your US Vets Case Manager if you have any concerns or questions.