WESTMINSTER : Groundbreaking for Project This Morning

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held today for the Rose Gardens, a 132-unit affordable-housing project for senior citizens. It will be built in the Civic Center area at the corner of 13th and Monroe streets.

Elderly Development Westminster will build the project on 1.75 acres that the Redevelopment Agency bought for $1.4 million in 1991.

Construction will begin in October and will be completed in the fall of next year, redevelopment coordinator Brian Fisk said.

The one-bedroom apartments will range in size from 481 to 512 square feet, with rents expected to be $375 to $575, Fisk said.

Once completed, the complex will feature areas for group activities, laundry facilities, a courtyard and a roof garden. Each unit will have living and dining rooms, a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.

Knitter & Associates of Newport Beach designed the buildings in the Old English style, featuring bricks and timbers, and a rose garden in the landscaped courtyard.

Fisk said the project, including the land, will cost $7.7 million and will be paid by Redevelopment Agency funds.

The public is invited to the 10 a.m. groundbreaking ceremony. For rental information, call (714) 673-0127.