Project Goal
The need for housing throughout California is dire, and the need for affordable housing is especially acute; Santa Rosa and the North Bay have been housing constrained for many years, a shortage further exacerbated by the 2017 Sonoma County fires, which destroyed 7,500 units and forced many residents to leave the area due to a lack of affordable housing options. The Stewart Cannery at Railroad Square provided both an opportunity for the City of Santa Rosa to increase its housing stock and relief for the 129 households who now call it home. These households benefit from affordable housing that ranges in affordability between 30% and 80% of area median income, and The Stewart Cannery at Railroad Square includes a set-aside of 33 units for special-needs formerly homeless families. The six-story development provides resident amenities including a community room with kitchen and patio, a learning lounge, two laundry facilities, on-site management and resident services offices, a tot lot, two landscaped podium courtyards, and a large resident back yard with play areas, picnic tables and a trellised deck overlooking the Santa Rosa Creek and Prince Memorial Greenway pedestrian and bicycle trail. The community also provides secure bicycle storage and a reduced ratio of vehicular parking.
Financing
The Santa Rosa housing market has historically struggled with San Francisco-level construction costs paired with lower Santa Rosa rents. The requirement that the historic walls of the former cannery be incorporated into the project added to the cost challenge. Despite the high-cost environment, the team secured the majority of the necessary funding from the City of Santa Rosa and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), with the remaining gap funded by a permanent loan and deferred developer fees and land acquisition costs. The community was completed on schedule and under budget, though the financial environment remained challenging given high interest rates and a delayed stabilization process. As part of the solution that allowed the team to achieve a successful conversion to permanent financing, the Stewart Cannery development team helped pioneer HCD’s Multifamily Loan Early Disbursement Policy, formally announced March 17, 2026, asking HCD to contribute its funding prior to permanent loan conversion, but after construction completion and full lease-up, so construction interest costs could be controlled. HCD ultimately contributed 90% of its funding prior to the permanent loan conversion, resulting in cost savings to the project; the approach is expected to be replicated on other developments to stretch limited housing resources statewide.
Additional Development Challenges
From a construction and engineering perspective, the team had to remediate contaminated soils and improve the existing clay soils while providing a new foundation for the six-story building, which utilizes 850 deep concrete piers and more than 2,000 cubic yards of concrete grade beams and pile caps. During this work, the brick wall shoring system had to remain in place, requiring a complex process of bracing, re-bracing and careful logistics to protect the historic structure.
Design Features
Saving the historical brick cannery walls ties the project back to its beginnings as a large fruit-canning facility. The second-level concrete deck was set at a level that allows reuse of the historical brick wall openings, providing views of downtown Santa Rosa; to the west, the building has views of the Santa Rosa Creek with protected riparian oak trees. Outdoor areas include play areas for children, large open areas with artificial turf, and an elevated deck with a trellis by the creek. The brick walls are illuminated at night so passersby on West Third Street can see the original brick pilasters, warehouse doors and metal canopy.
Management’s Role in Success
The management team at The John Stewart Company focused on providing housing that is not only decent, safe and sanitary, but also beautiful and thoughtfully designed. During lease-up, the team assisted applicants without cars by arranging rideshares to city-required approval briefings and lease signings, and worked with case management and other local agencies to secure deposit assistance for residents so they could move in as soon as possible.
Ongoing Management Challenges
Outside challenges from the local neighborhood have been addressed through state-of-the-art cameras and controlled entry throughout the property, allowing the team to manage issues, hold people accountable, and work with law enforcement when necessary. Limited parking was another major challenge; the team located a local municipal lot and reached an agreement with the city for a reduced monthly rate for residents to park off-site but close to the property, and provided carts so residents parking off-site could haul groceries and belongings.
Resident Programs and Services
Open Doors to Future Possibilities has committed a full-time, on-site case manager who delivers intensive, wraparound case management services to the 33 Project-Based Voucher recipients transitioning out of homelessness and housing instability, while also being available to support other residents who benefit from enhanced, individualized care. Specialized services include one-on-one counseling, intake and needs assessments, support in housing placement and retention, financial literacy, employment assistance, skill-building courses, and mental and physical health coordination. Pacific Housing has committed a part-time resident services specialist who provides all residents with access to service coordination and referrals to local resources, as well as instructor-led adult education programming, including college and career guidance, English as a second language classes, fitness, health and wellness, senior-centered programs, resume workshops, and recreational activities.
Community Integration
Located in Historic Railroad Square, the building is a former Del Monte Cannery dating to 1908. At the request of the city and surrounding neighborhoods, the rehabilitation preserves multiple historic cannery elements, including two brick walls, two loading docks and a metal canopy, all of which required partial rebuilding and structural strengthening. The development exemplifies transit-oriented design aligned with the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan, transforming a former industrial brownfield into a walkable community. The Stewart Cannery adds substantially to the affordable housing stock in the aftermath of the 2017 wildfires, and provides critically needed units for those who work in service-related positions in Santa Rosa. The development team also provided an easement to create a public promenade connecting Railroad Square to the Prince Memorial Greenway trail.
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