SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Sugar Pine Village Phase 1 has been named the 2025 Best Real Estate Project of the Year in the Public-Private Partnership category by the Sacramento Business Journal, recognizing its innovative approach to community-driven development and regional housing solutions.

The award highlights the remarkable collaboration between Related California, one of the state’s premier developers of affordable and mixed-income housing, St. Joseph Community Land Trust, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), Lowney Architecture, Deacon Construction, and the City of South Lake Tahoe. Together, the partners have delivered a transformative project that addresses critical housing needs while preserving the character and natural beauty of the Tahoe Basin.

Phase 1 of Sugar Pine Village includes 68 high-quality affordable housing units, designed with sustainability, livability, and community connectivity in mind. Once completed, the full development will total more than 248 units, making it the largest affordable housing project in the history of South Lake Tahoe.

City Manager, Joe Irvin praised the project’s impact: “Sugar Pine Village is proof that thoughtful development can meet housing needs of our community while maintaining the environmental values our community holds dear. We’re incredibly proud to see this work recognized on a regional stage.”

The Sacramento Business Journal’s annual Best Real Estate Projects Awards honor developments that demonstrate innovation, overcome challenges, and deliver lasting value to the community. Sugar Pine Village Phase 1 stood out for its cross-sector collaboration, accelerated timeline, and ability to secure layered funding from local, state, and federal sources.

This recognition highlights the power of collaboration in delivering affordable housing quickly and effectively to the City of South Lake Tahoe. The dedication of the City Council and commitment to priorities outlined in its 5-year strategic plan has played a key role in the delivery of affordable housing. In addition, the city’s strategic investment to secure the outside grants, bonds, and equity investments has been essential to the funding of this project.

Sugar Pine Village exemplifies how underutilized state land can transform a community and opportunity.

Sugar Pine Village Phase 1 welcomed its first residents in Fall 2024 and continues to be a model for public-private partnerships tackling California’s housing crisis. Phase 2 is currently leasing while vertical construction is underway for the third phase. The project will ultimately consist of 248 units, which will provide high-quality affordable housing to approximately 800 residents.        

To learn more, visit: http://www.sugarpinevillageslt.com