The historic Golden Gate Village in Marin City, Calif., was built in the 1960s.
MARIN CITY, Calif. - The historic Bay Area housing complex where rap legend, the late Tupac Shakur, lived is undergoing a massive renovation, the first major revamp since it was built 65 years ago.
Owned and operated by the Marin Housing Authority, low-income public housing complex Golden Gate Village is located on Drake Avenue in Marin City.
Redevelopment plans for the nearly 300-unit community have been years in the making.
What we know:
Last week, the project reached a critical milestone. It closed on financing, after being awarded $31.8 million of municipal bonds from the California Municipal Finance Authority.
This provided a green light for Phase 1 of the construction process to get underway.
"This is a wonderful milestone for MHA and a long awaited renovation Golden Gate Village that will provide residents with modern, safe, comfortable apartments," said Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters whose district includes Golden Gate Village.
Moving into temporary housing
Residents in the area where construction will begin were given their seven-day notice for relocation, according to nonprofit affordable housing developer Burbank Housing, which is working in partnership with the Marin Housing Authority on the project.
Those residents are being provided temporary housing in another part of the complex during the construction, the developer said.
Phase 1
According to the Marin Housing Authority's website, Phase 1 will include updating the development's mid-century low-rise buildings, enhancing building safety systems, upgrading kitchens and bathrooms, and improving outdoor areas.
"Phase 1 of the Golden Gate Village revitalization will focus on renovating the first 88 homes within the historic 296-unit affordable housing community in Marin City," Burbank Housing Communications Director Stefanie Bagala explained to KTVU.
In all, the project is expected to be finished in two phases, with the total cost estimated at $305 million.
"The project is part of a larger, multi-phase effort to preserve and modernize Golden Gate Village while maintaining its long-term affordability and historic character," Bagala said.
Big picture view:
Project leaders said the goal of the renovation is to reinvest in the property, while maintaining it as a vital affordable housing option for the community.
The historic property, which spans roughly 30 acres, is the largest owned by the Marin Housing Authority.
Tupac's home
The backstory:
In 1988, at age 17, before Tupac Shakur’s meteoric rise to stardom, he briefly lived in the complex after moving to the Bay Area with his family from Baltimore.
Shakur attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley his junior year and part of his senior year, according to Marin Magazine.
At Golden Gate Village, he lived in building 89 Cole Drive, #1, according to Marin Housing.
Bagala said she's unaware of any signage or memorial on that unit paying tribute to its famous former resident.
Murder trial underway now
30-years after Shakur was killed at the age of 25, in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, his name is back in the headlines, as the man accused of orchestrating the murder stands trial.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis has pleaded not guilty to the Sept. 7, 1996 killing.
Next week, closing arguments are set to get underway in the trial.
Historic property
Dig deeper:
While the Golden Gate Village complex has been highlighted for its ties to the legendary rap artist, its historic status was achieved through the property’s architectural background and the cultural significance stemming from its earliest residents.
In 2017, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which listed the public housing complex's areas of significance were its social history, community planning and development and architecture.
Golden Gate Village was built in 1961 by internationally recognized architect Aaron Green, who was a protégé of visionary designer Frank Lloyd Wright.
The development served as an affordable housing complex for many people during a time of redlining and housing discrimination.
The complex was built on property that had previously been used for temporary housing for wartime shipbuilders during World War II.
"Golden Gate Village was created to house workers—many of them African American shipbuilders—after World War II," according to Marin Housing.
Investing in its future
The complex is now home to almost 300 low-income families.
Community leaders said the renovation will ensure Golden Gate Village remains a vibrant, affordable housing option for years to come.
"This effort protects 100% affordable housing in Marin City, preserves this historically significant campus," Moulton-Peters said in a news release last year, "and invests in the Marin City community."
Barring any major disruptions, the entire project is expected to be complete by 2030.
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Crowds come out for Tupac Shakur Way in Oakland
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