Project name: Mahonia Crossing

Location: Salem

Completion: September 2024

Size: 318,601

Owner: Community Development Partners

Architect: Scott Edwards Architecture

Interior Designer: Scott Edwards Architecture

Engineers: Interface Engineering, Stonewood Structural Engineers, Westech Engineering

General Contractor: Gerding Builders

Submitting Company: Scott Edwards Architecture

Other Associates/Key Consultants: PLACE

Subcontractors: 3Form, Academy Specialties, All-Seasons Landscape, Alpha Construction, Andres Landscape, B&T Striping & Curbing, Bell Hardware-Salem, Black Line Glazing, Brothers Construction, BRX, Bryker Enterprises, Building Material Specialties, Cascade Radon, Columbia Cascade, Construction Specialties, Corvallis Tree Care, Crown Ridge Construction, Dallas Glass, DE-EL Enterprises, Double Eagle, Evergreen Valley, Forms + Structures, Fred Eichler Construction, Gelco Construction, Great Northwest Gutters, GVA Northwest, H3O, Home Insulation, Interior Technology, Jet Industries, K&E Excavating, Kelly’s Appliance, Kelly’s Home Center, Key West Retaining Systems, Kraft Masonry, Lanz Cabinets, Lindstrom Construction, McDowell Concrete, Merit Contractor, Meyer Sign Co. of Oregon, Mid-Valley Commercial Construction, Mid-Valley Glass & Millwork, Norse Iron Works, North Santiam Paving, Northside Electric, Northwest Waterproofing, Nugent Masonry, Omlid & Swinney Fire Protection, Oregon Cascade, Oregon Door Consultants, Outdoor Fence, Pacific Air, Pacific Construction, Painter a Boles Bros., PDCI, Phillys Plumbing, Phoenix, Precision Countertops, RC Building Specialties, Roy Houck, Sign Wizards, Smith Glass, Spinneybeck Filzfelt, Stutzman & Kropf Contractors, Sunbreak Energy Advisors, Superior Interiors, TerraCalc Land Surveying, TGC Structural, Tims Carpet & Interiors, TK Elevator, Top Dog Turf, Topline Counters, Ultra Quiet Floors, Valley Shades, Western Partitions, Westside Drywall & Insulation, Willamette Windows & Doors, Zochert Fence

In the wake of devastating 2021 wildfires that left many Salem residents without homes, a pioneering housing development is offering a new approach to affordable living while fostering connections across generations.

Mahonia Crossing, one of the largest “Community for All Ages” developments and the first in Salem, integrates senior housing with family-centered residential walk-ups in a mixed-income community serving residents in 30 percent, 60 percent and 80 percent area median income brackets.

The development, designed by Scott Edwards Architecture, departs from traditional suburban multi-family housing by organizing walk-up buildings around a central park rather than distributing them across a parking grid. This thoughtful approach to site planning creates numerous spaces for residents to interact.

A mass timber, Path-to-Net-Zero community building anchors the development’s entrance, featuring a lobby that connects resident services and amenity spaces. The building includes a large common room with an open floor plan ideal for cooking and nutrition classes.

The senior building serves as a gateway to the central park and includes viewing decks and a first-floor fitness center to increase accessibility for older residents. This strategic positioning encourages daily multi-generational encounters.

Interior spaces prioritize natural light and views of the landscaping through large windows and open floor plans. The design incorporates site-reclaimed white oak and uses a blend of traditional and contemporary elements with vibrant colors for a lively feel. The National Green Building Standard certified development features sustainable elements throughout, including low-to-no-VOC finishes, energy-efficient lighting and appliances, and local manufacturing for cabinets and tile.

Despite complexities from overlapping construction phases to meet urgent housing needs after the wildfires, the development team maintained a collaborative environment to deliver the project on time and on budget.

Beyond providing housing, Mahonia Crossing successfully integrates into an existing middle-upper-class neighborhood by using architecture and landscape design to build community and create opportunities for residents of all ages to connect.

Salem Housing Authority was pivotal to the project’s success, providing 56 project-based vouchers for the development and providing the developer with the ability to receive a full property tax exemption.

The Mahonia Crossing project had a contracting goal of 20 percent DMWESB participation, and Gerding Builders exceeded the target, achieving 27 percent actual participation.
The predominantly minority-and-women-led design team also represented more than 20 percent DMWESB participation.

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