Karla always loved her home at Corona del Rey. It’s where she grew up, where memories were made. But for years, the apartment she shared with her parents and two brothers was plagued with leaky faucets, clogged sinks and a bathtub that wouldn’t drain.
In 2023, everything changed. National CORE launched sweeping renovations across her community and a nearby sister site, marking the start of a long-awaited transformation.
Corona del Rey, with 160 apartments built in the 1970s, and Corona de Oro, with 72 units from the 1980s, had weathered decades of use. Though National CORE, which acquired the communities in 2010 and 2000, kept up with maintenance, aging infrastructure made it clear that patchwork repairs were no longer enough.
Construction updates had long been identified as critical, especially to fix persistent plumbing failures. With funding from multiple sources, the reinvestment finally became reality.
At Corona del Rey, the work included a complete water system replacement, conversion to all-electric utilities, stucco repair, fresh paint and upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms. Two Demonstration Buildings were outfitted with updated exterior insulation, mechanical and electrical systems to boost energy efficiency.
Corona de Oro saw improvements, too – from upgraded bathroom fixtures to selective upgrades across the property.
Before any of this could begin, residents needed to relocate – a moment that stirred uncertainty for many families, including Karla’s. Now living with just her father, she remembers how unsure they felt when told they’d have to temporarily move out.
To ease the transition, National CORE’s Relocation team worked with residents in phases starting in May 2023, offering hotel stays and vacant units nearby to minimize disruption. Corona del Rey renovations were completed in 2025.
“There was no stress with the move at all: they took care of everything, transferred all of our boxes and set us up in a nice hotel,” Karla said. “We were given regular updates on our apartment, our questions would get answered quickly and they would even pick up our packages that we accidentally sent to our old apartment.”
By November 2024, renovations to her phase were complete, and Karla and her father were selected to move into one of the new Demonstration Buildings.
Karla said the upgrade was nothing short of stunning.
“It was 90 degrees outside the other day, and I just didn’t even need to turn on the air conditioner, I just used a fan, and it got so cold in here,” Karla said. “I love it. It’s so refreshing to be living in an apartment that feels like new.”
The improvements didn’t stop at plumbing and cooling. Every household at Corona del Rey received a new induction stove to replace outdated gas ranges. Karla’s father has already put theirs to good use.
“My dad has been cooking up his favorite foods and he’s made his favorite, pozole, which usually takes a while but this new stove heats up fast,” she said.
Since returning, Karla said they’ve experienced a level of comfort and reliability they hadn’t known in years – no maintenance issues, no lingering disruptions – just the quiet stability of a modernized home built to last.
Read about the Corona del Rey and Corona de Oro grand reopening here.
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