FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cinda Cates
City of Burbank
(818) 238-5843

Nancy Morris
Meta Housing Corp.
(310) 575-3543

Tim Carpenter
More Than Shelter For Seniors
(818) 255-0430

UNIQUE SENIOR ARTISTS COLONY PROJECT SET TO
BREAK GROUND IN BURBANK ON JULY 23

141-Unit Haven for Creative Seniors Already Receiving National Recognition for Innovative Design

LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2003 - Burbank redevelopment officials and other dignitaries will celebrate the groundbreaking for a unique senior apartment community designed as a haven for entertainment industry retirees as well as other creative-minded seniors next Wednesday, July 23 at 11:30 a.m.

Groundbreaking for the 141-unit Burbank Senior Artists Colony will be held at the construction site, located at the corner of San Fernando Boulevard and Verdugo Avenue in Burbank. Free parking will be available two blocks away at the Burbank County Courts building, located at Third Street and Angeleno Avenue, with shuttles to and from the event site to be provided.

Speakers and other guests invited to the event include Burbank Mayor Stacey Murphy and members of the City Council; City Manager Mary Alvord; Burbank Unified School District Superintendent Gregory A. Bowman; Rita Hadjimanoukian, aide to County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who will present a proclamation from the Board of Supervisors; Linn Warren, Director of Multifamily Programs, California Housing Finance Agency; John Huskey, President of Los Angeles-based Meta Housing, developer of the project; Alan Kingston, Chairman, Century Housing Corp., and senior artist David Connell, a long-time proponent of the Burbank community who hopes to apply for residency once it is completed next spring.

Plans for the project have already garnered national attention. In February it won a Gold Award at the Best of Seniors Housing Design Awards, presented by the Seniors Housing Council of the National Assn. of Home Builders, as the nation's most outstanding "On the Boards" design for service-enriched senior housing.

In addition to the traditional groundbreaking ceremony, the July 23 event will also include an "art in the making" showcase of the innovative arts and entertainment-oriented programs to be offered at the community upon its completion. A variety of activities will be demonstrated by senior artists, including filmmaking, mural painting, music performance and a read-aloud with local school children led by noted veteran actor and director Richard Erdman.

Special features and amenities planned at the community include a 40-seat theater and projection room; video and film editing bays; a "wet studio" for fine arts activities such as painting, sculpture and pottery; and live performance spaces, along with a computer lab, game room and library. On-site programs and activities will be developed to take maximum advantage of these unique facilities, including a resident theater group and film production company.

All on-site programs will be offered at no cost to residents by More Than Shelter for Seniors , a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation that provides on-site educational classes, arts programs, health and wellness classes, recreational activities, transportation and intergenerational opportunities to seniors throughout Southern California. MTSFS' goal is to keep seniors actively engaged in life, physically and mentally healthy, and given the opportunity to serve as mentors to younger generations. "We expect the community will draw interest from the significant population of both working and retired people living in the Burbank area due to its proximity to major television and movie studios, as well as the large number of local post-production facilities and other entertainment-oriented businesses," said Huskey.

"Because of this, we took a unique themed approach to the project, designing it as a haven for creative and artistically-oriented seniors, although residence is not restricted in any way to those affiliated with the entertainment industry," Huskey said, adding that 30% of the units will be set aside as affordable for low- and very low-income seniors.

The Artists Colony site is just a few blocks from Media City Center, a 1.5 million square-foot shopping mall, and is also walking distance from theaters, restaurants, retail stores, health care facilities, and public transportation. It was Meta Housing's and the Burbank Redevelopment Agency's intent to include senior housing in this urbanized setting not only to help revitalize the neighborhood, but also to ensure future residents would have easy access to shopping, services and entertainment.

"The Redevelopment Agency is proud to be a partner with Meta Housing and More Than Shelter for Seniors on the Burbank Senior Artists Colony," said Sue Georgino, Burbank Com-munity Development Director. "Not only will this be the first redevelopment project in the South San Fernando Redevelopment Project area, but also the first of its type in Burbank. We are very pleased about the design and what it will do to enhance the physical environment. But more than that, we are excited about the quality-of-life programming this project will bring to its senior residents," Georgino added. For more information regarding the Burbank Senior Artists Colony or the July 23 groundbreaking, phone toll-free (866) 257-5301.

West Los Angeles-based Meta Housing and its principals have been active in financing, constructing and managing senior and multifamily housing since 1969 and have developed nearly 10,000 residential units throughout Southern California.