Watch for Genesis at Holly and 8th!

Downtown Medford is soon to have a new apartment building – The Genesis – on the corner of South Holly and West Eighth Streets.

The Genesis is the project of local developer, Laz Ayala. The 40,000 square foot, three-story building will be comprised of 62 units and will feature a mix of studios, one bedroom, and two bedroom market rate apartments. “I believe this is the first market rate apartment complex of this size built in Downtown Medford in decades,” said Ayala.

Studios will be 375-415 square feet, the one-bedrooms 500-600 square feet, and the two-bedrooms will range in 725-825 square feet. The units will accommodate one to three-member households and should attract students, members of the local workforce, seniors, and others who need a relatively affordable place to live. Units available to people with disabilities will be located on the ground floor.

Parking spaces will be created on the back side of the building, and on-street permit parking will also be available for tenants.

Construction is expected to start in the next few months, reaching completion about 18 months later.

Ayala, who has restored a number of downtown buildings over the past 20 years said, “I’ve been a believer in the downtown since I’ve lived here.”  He said that he hopes this project helps spur more interest in building housing in the downtown area by other developers.