It’s been nearly a year, between all the construction and landscaping of the senior housing complex and the end is in sight.

The housing project is built upon one third of the strawberry patch. The City of Cerritos has funded the project along with others and will become the city’s third senior housing project.

The project began in early summer 2001 and is nearly complete a year later. The center is now waiting to obtain state license.

There will be 105 affordable housing units for low and moderate income seniors.

The apartments will be available for seniors 62 years and older.

Avalon at Cerritos has begun the application process for the 105 units.

There will be first priority to current resident of Cerritos College District, which includes surrounding cities such as Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood and Norwalk.

The housing project cost $15 million dollars to build on the strawberry patch.

There will also be 132 apartments that will be sold at market rate.

Seniors will also have meals prepared for them and eat in a group setting.

Along with the center being on the campus, students may have the chance to experience the senior center first hand.

The center may serve as a place for students to grow in a career they have elected such as nursing, landscaping, rehabilitation, and cosmetology.

Though the student programs are still in the works and being developed by the school.

In early January of this year, the New Falcon Way began to be constructed to help the flow of traffic into the college and also to become the entrance for the senior housing otherwise known now as Avalon at Cerritos.

If students have not seen the senior housing yet, the building is located out on a portion of the Strawberry Patch near the Health Sciences building on the south side of Cerritos College campus on Studebaker Road off of New Falcon Way.

Over the past year the senior housing has progressed very quickly and steadily. Even through mud and the rain construction crews were out working on the building.

Though the housing project was expected to be done by spring of this year, it is very well almost complete.

Recently, the city also installed a new falcon on the fountain on the corner of Studebaker Road and New Falcon Way. It was one of the last little touches that the city is adding to the project. The Falcon is the mascot of Cerritos College.

“We wanted to have something that represented the school so both the senior center could tie in with the college. That is why we choose the Falcon,” commented a city employee during the installation of the bird.