Berkeleyside has pored over city records and our own archives to bring you a robust roundup of recent housing developments and other projects happening around the city as of August 2019. Did we miss a timely project you’re interested in or get something wrong? Please use our tips form to alert us. Click any thumbnail below and use the arrow keys to scroll through larger images of the projects. See the companion list of completed projects.
The latest submissions
2352 Shattuck Ave. (between Channing Way and Durant Avenue): The Austin Group, which also built StoneFire on University and the Varsity Apartments, between Channing and Durant, has proposed the construction of Logan Park, an eight-story mixed-use student housing project consisting of 209 units over 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The 1.1-acre parcel includes the entire Shattuck frontage, from Chase bank, at Channing Way, north to Staples at Durant. Existing structures and parking lots would be demolished to make way for the new complex. Johnson Lyman Architects wrote, in project documents, that “The design goal was to create a unique statement in the area and provide much needed student housing in the area,” which is just blocks from UC Berkeley. Plans indicate the project would be built in two phases beginning with the northern portion of the site and concluding with the southern portion. The project was submitted in 2018 and the zoning board got a preview of the project in May. STATUS: SUBMITTED
2023 Shattuck Ave. (south of University): The property at Mandarin Garden Restaurant, destroyed by fire in 2015, may get new life as a seven-story mixed-use building with 48 units, a rooftop garden and a 1,250 square-foot ground-floor commercial space. The developer plans to ask the city to waive the parking requirement and approve a density bonus in exchange for providing on-site below-market-rate units. The application was submitted to the city in March, according to the city’s zoning log. Architect David Trachtenberg is representing San Francisco-based property owner Mevlanarumi. According to project materials, the developer held a community meeting in February but no one came, despite having notified the requisite nearby properties. The project has not received its page on the city website and no public meetings have been announced. STATUS: ZAB PREVIEW SLATED FOR FALL 2019
2720 San Pablo Ave. (at Pardee Street): This five-story mixed-use project set to include 40 units over ground-floor commercial and a parking garage seems to be moving ahead. It was submitted to the city in 2016, but then there wasn’t too much apparent progress. The project was scheduled to go before the Design Review Committee (DRC) in late 2016, but then it stalled. As we reported that year, Jered’s Pottery used to operate on the property, but the shop moved to Richmond in 2015. In November 2016, project rep Rhoades Planning Group told the city it had made a number of revisions in response to DRC feedback. In May, the city deemed the application complete. STATUS: ZONING BOARD PREVIEW SLATED FOR FALL 2019
2176 Kittredge St. (west of Fulton Street): Amir Massih of San Francisco-based East Beach Development submitted an application to the city in February to merge two Kittredge Street parcels, where Touchless Carwash and the five-story Oxford Court (2150 Kittredge) are now, to build a new 7-story, 75-foot-tall mixed-use building with 165 units, underground parking and approximately 23,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial. Touchless would be demolished. According to the Feb. 6 applicant statement, the ground floor would have a management and leasing office, and a lobby and service area, in addition to the commercial space. The upper six floors would feature a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom flats “arranged around two courtyards.” Massih has proposed 52 parking spaces. The zoning code requires 93, he writes, but “the site’s proximity to public transportation, dedicated bike lanes, walkable campus and downtown services, and existing public parking garages greatly reduces the need for parking in the project.” The project is seeking city approvals for a quick-service or full-service restaurant and alcohol sales. STATUS: APPLICATION INCOMPLETE AS OF JUNE
2015 Blake St. (east of Milvia Street): Laconia Development — represented by the Rhoades Planning Group — submitted an application to the city in December 2018 for this 155-unit residential density bonus project on Blake. According to the applicant statement, “The project will build on the character of the neighborhood which includes multi‐family residential uses on Blake Street with commercial properties including the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center on Milvia Street and Dwight Way. The seven‐story project would include a below‐grade parking garage, high‐quality residential apartment units on each floor, and significant amenities and open space including a rooftop outdoor terrace.” Laconia plans to engage property management company Greystar to run the building, according to project materials. STATUS: APPLICATION INCOMPLETE AS OF JUNE
1835 San Pablo Ave. (north of Hearst Avenue): San Francisco-based developer Realtex applied in November 2018 to demolish a small auto-service shop that dates back to 1979 — it was a Midas — to construct a six-story mixed-use building with 95 housing units and four live/work units, and off-street parking at ground level. The project, which is seeking a density bonus, went before the Landmarks Preservation Commission on March 7, as required by the city code for the proposed demolition of any commercial building more than 40 years old. (Minutes for that meeting have not been posted.) About half of the units are proposed to be studios, while the rest are to be nearly evenly divided between one- and two-bedroom units. The ground-floor parking area will have room for 92 bikes and a bike repair station, according to project materials, and spots for 49 automobiles. STATUS: APPLICATION INCOMPLETE AS OF JUNE
2435 San Pablo Ave. (near Dwight Way): Orinda-based Wang Brother Investments applied in December to build a four-story mixed-use development, on two vacant lots, with 42 private rooms and 1,000 square feet of retail: “The co-living design will allow for the units to be leased at lower rents than traditional studio and one bedroom apartments making them accessible to a wide range of Berkeley residents,” according to project documents. Each room will have its own bathroom, and “Each residential floor will include community kitchens, shared laundry facilities and an outdoor balcony. Common usable open space will also include a west-facing shared rooftop terrace. The intent of the building operation is for each room to only have one occupant at a time, however to allow for some flexibility the total number of residents for the 42 rooms could be 50, or an average of 1.2 residents per room.” Parking is planned for 42 bikes and six vehicles. STATUS: SUBMITTED IN DECEMBER
Approved housing projects
2628 Shattuck Ave. (at Carleton Street): The zoning board unanimously approved The Aquatic Shattuck, a six-story, mixed-use building with 78 units, on the consent calendar in January. A two-story care facility just south of Parker Place will be demolished. RI Berkeley — Read Investments — submitted the project to the city in March 2018 and it underwent multiple reviews before winning the unanimous zoning board approval. (Read also contributed generously to the city’s Pathways project last year.) According to the applicant statement, “The project will provide … 15 units that are available for households of Low and Very-Low-Income, at 80% and 50% of the AMI, (or equivalent in-lieu fee), which will help the City to meet its housing goals and provide housing for an economically diverse population.” Trachtenberg Architects designed the project, which is set to open in 2020. STATUS: APPROVED IN JANUARY (BUILDING PERMIT PENDING)
2072 Addison St. (west of Shattuck Avenue): The plan is to demolish an existing one-story commercial building — which was a 24 Hour Fitness gym — for a seven-story mixed-use building with 66 units, ground-floor commercial space and underground parking. The project was submitted to the city by property owner Ruegg & Ellsworth in 2016 and approved in 2017. In January, the applicant asked the city to eliminate the parking requirement, according to planning documents on the city website. The project is set to return to the zoning board for that decision, but no date has been set, according to available information. The gym will close March 29, it told its members. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2017 (BUILDING PERMIT PENDING)
2542 Durant (west of Bowditch): Last year in May, the zoning board approved a use permit to merge two parcels and construct a five-story, mixed-use building with 32 units on what has been a parking lot. Kirk Peterson & Associates Architects designed the project and described, in project materials, a rooftop terrace with a “decorative cupola” and space for solar panels. The project was on the action calendar at the zoning board, but only two people spoke, according to project materials online. “The project is of a historicist/traditional aesthetic like that seen in other Kirk E. Peterson-designed projects in the downtown. It is nonetheless an original contemporary design, while being visually congruent to many of Berkeley’s better historic buildings.” The project also sought a variance “to allow dwelling units on the ground floor next to and behind an existing 12-unit apartment building.” Staff urged the zoning board to reject that request, but it ultimately approved it, according to project materials online. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2018 (BUILDING PERMIT PENDING)
2556 Telegraph Ave. (at Blake Street): Realtex won approval to demolish an existing 16,000 square-foot, two-story commercial building — The Village — to construct a five-story, mixed-use building with 22 dwelling units, two live/work units and about 3,400 square feet of commercial space. The project, designed by Pyatok, is called “The Laureate.” The city is currently “reviewing the project application/plans to ensure that it is compliant with all building codes,” city spokesman Matthai Chakko said in March, but the building permit has not been issued so a timeline for construction on the site is still to be determined. There was an unsuccessful effort in 2016 to landmark The Village, a quirky indoor mall that’s full of character. Now, businesses that have been located there are trying to figure out what’s next — particularly as they haven’t been paying market-rate rents due to building conditions, according to people familiar with the property. Fondue Fred has said it will close if it can’t find a new location. Other tenants, including homey Japanese restaurant Norikonoko, have already shuttered. See project documents on the city website. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2018 (BUILDING PERMIT PENDING)
2527 San Pablo Ave. (between Dwight Way and Blake Street): The zoning board approved this six-story, 63-unit project in 2017, but neighbors appealed. The City Council later upheld the ZAB approval. The people behind the project said they hoped “promote the creation of a special integrated multi generational community” where people with physical and developmental disabilities can “live and thrive independently … side by side with their family and friends and members of the community at large.” The project’s below-market-rate units will be set aside for tenants with physical and developmental disabilities, according to the applicant statement: “This is a population that is currently severely under-served for affordable housing, resulting in loneliness and community isolation.” The project was also set to include about 3,279 square feet of commercial space, ground-level parking for 56 vehicles and secured storage for 52 bicycles The building later went on the market and reportedly was sold. See project documents on the city website. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2017, LATER SOLD (BUILDING PERMIT PENDING)
3020 San Pablo Ave. (at Folger Avenue): This is a five-story mixed-use building with 28 or 29 units and about 2,300 square feet of commercial space. The current design was approved in 2008, but the project did not complete its design review process until 2015, according to documents on the city website. The city had issued a blight notice prior to the 2008 approval due to graffiti and other problems on the property. Architect Joe DeCredico designed the project. According to a DRC report: “On-site parking spaces would be provided in the lower level. Private balconies in each unit and a rooftop deck with gardens will provide open space for the project. This development was designed to be compatible with the surrounding industrial context. Tall ceilings, opens floor plans and an abundance of glass help to create open, light filled interior spaces.” STATUS: APPROVED IN 2008 (BUILDING PERMIT PENDING)
2198 San Pablo Ave. (north of Allston Way): Another project from Realtex, which hopes to replace liquor shop St. Helena Wine Company with a six-story mixed-use building with 56 units, a ground-floor lobby and parking garage, and three live/work units. Parking plans include space for 20 vehicles, 44 bikes and a bike-repair station. The project was set for a preliminary Design Review meeting Thursday and had a zoning board preview in January for initial feedback. Most of the units would be studios and one-bedrooms, with just five two-bedroom units planned. Usable open space includes common deck areas on the fifth and sixth floors. Some of the units have private patios. A residential care facility for elders has already been approved on the block, at 2100 San Pablo. STATUS: APPROVED IN MAY (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
2028 Bancroft Way (west of Shattuck): Studio KDA sought a use permit to relocate an existing two-story residential building to 1940 Haste St. to construct a six-story residential building with 37 units, including two below-market-rate units for very-low-income tenants. The Zoning Adjustments Board approved the project unanimously in February as part of its consent calendar. It includes 37 bicycle storage spaces. According to the applicant statement, the project includes studios up through three-bedroom units, with open space on private balconies (for some), a roof deck and a shared ground-level courtyard. The project will share a garden with its neighbor Berkeley Park Apartments. The garden “will also serve as a visual green space to pedestrians passing by on Bancroft Way,” according to project documents. STATUS: APPROVED IN FEBRUARY (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
2902 Adeline St. (at Russell Street): Developer Realtex says it plans to construct a six-story, 50-unit building that will replace the now-closed Aw Pottery shop. If built, 2902 Adeline will be the first new housing project of its size to come to South Berkeley in quite some time. Escrow closed in August 2018 for the $4.225 million land deal, which involved three contiguous parcels at Adeline and Russell. A neighborhood group filed a lawsuit after council approved the project, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. In September 2018, the project team said it would focus on construction drawings, and hoped to break ground between eight months and one year from that time. See project documents on the city website. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2017 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
3000 Shattuck Ave. (at Ashby Avenue): In November, citing the “tremendous” need for new housing in Berkeley, and its location near BART along key transit lines, City Council members overturned a zoning board vote to reject a five-story “co-living” project at Shattuck and Ashby. Project representatives said 3000 Shattuck would offer 80 bedrooms — limited to one bed each — in 23 units that would range in size from studios up to as many as six bedrooms. The building will not include below-market-rate housing on-site, project rep Nathan George told city officials. It will instead pay more than $800,000 into the city’s Housing Trust Fund, which it uses to build affordable housing elsewhere in Berkeley. See project documents on the city website. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2018 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
1200 San Pablo Ave. (south of Harrison Street): RI Berkeley — Read Investments — won consent calendar approval in October to demolish an existing, single-story structure and construct a new six-story mixed-use building with 57 units and 1,125 square feet of ground-floor retail as part of its Aquatic brand. The project — Aquatic IV — has 44 off-street parking spots and secure storage for 52 bicycles, along with sidewalk bike racks. The project, a former Church’s Chicken location, was approved in less than a year, in part because state law exempts “infill” projects that meet certain conditions from California Environmental Quality Act analysis. Architect Trachtenberg designed the project. Other projects of his around Berkeley include the KPFA building, Saul’s Deli, the Premier Cru building on University Avenue, and the Aquatic apartments on University (and elsewhere). STATUS: APPROVED IN 2018 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
1740 San Pablo Ave. (at Delaware Street): In March, the zoning board approved this proposal to demolish two one-story buildings at San Pablo and Delaware and build a five-story mixed-use building with 48 units. Also planned: several live/work units, one 800 square-foot quick-serve restaurant and 53 parking spaces at the ground floor. It’s called the Prato Apartments. According to Trachtenberg Architects, which designed the building, “The building is proposed to have a corten rain screen skin. Large windows and 9-foot ceilings will provide good natural light. Amenities include podium level gardens and a semi-freestanding community room.” It’s a density bonus project. See project documents on the city website. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2018 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
1717 University Ave. (east of McGee): Approved back in October 2017, according to city documents, this proposal demolishes a one-story commercial building and single-family home to construct a five-story mixed-use building with 28 dwellings, including three below-market-rate units. There’s also nearly 2,000 square feet of commercial, slated to host a restaurant with incidental beer and wine sales, and parking for 18 vehicles and 40 bikes. The applicant is listed as Matthew Fialho, who appears to work with Peter Ulman at San Francisco-based Prescott Partners. The most recent hearing for the project was in December when the applicant asked the Design Review Committee (DRC) if it could add one more unit, which would be consistent with the state’s density bonus law, according to project documents. The project got a “favorable recommendation” from DRC for the zoning board, apparently its next stop. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2017 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
2701 Shattuck Ave. (at Derby Street): Developer BayRock submitted the project to the city in December 2016 and the zoning board approved the project in November 2018. Derby Street neighbor Todd Darling, who lives one house away from 2701 Shattuck, appealed the zoning board vote in December 2018, citing concerns about sunlight, privacy, view and encroachment impacts. He also said there was a creek under the property that wasn’t considered by staff. (Staff said its research and records showed that the creek now runs through a storm drain.) The City Council sent the project back to the zoning board, where it was approved in June after the developer and neighbors came to an agreement. There were some harsh words, but the use permit was approved. Neighbors said they would not appeal or sue. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2019 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
Major projects downtown
1951 Shattuck Ave. (at Berkeley Way): Grosvenor Americas is working on one of the most ambitious projects that has been approved downtown: a 12-story, mixed-use building with 156 units, approximately 5,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a 80-space subterranean parking garage. The zoning board approved the project in June. One recurring issue raised by the community has been the fate of Berkeley Vacuum, a much-loved local business that will be displaced when construction for 1951 Shattuck is underway. The developer said, in June, that the business open at a new downtown location. The project is not planning to include affordable units and will instead put from $5.5 million to nearly $6 million, depending on when the payment is made, into the city’s Housing Trust Fund. STATUS: APPROVED JUNE 2019 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
1951 Shattuck is one of seven tall buildings allowed by voters under the city’s Downtown Area Plan. The plan was adopted in 2012 after residents endorsed its concepts in 2010. It allows for the construction of three buildings up to 180-foot-tall in Berkeley’s downtown core, and two buildings up to 120 feet. Other projects approved under the plan include the 18-story Berkeley Plaza at 2211 Harold Way (302 units), which has received multiple extensions as it prepares to pull its building permit, according to project reps, and a 16-story hotel over the Bank of America property at 2129 Shattuck. The hotel is under construction and is expected to open in 2020.
The third project allowed by the plan is an 18-story building with 274 units at the site of the downtown Berkeley Walgreens, at 2190 Shattuck Ave. A council majority approved that project, called Shattuck Terrace Green Apartments, in February. The Mill Creek Residential project has not yet pulled its building permit.
Under the Downtown Area Plan, UC Berkeley was authorized to build two 120-foot structures and has completed one of them: Berkeley Way West, a 120-foot building on Berkeley Way with educational and office space.
2145 University Ave. (east of Shattuck): Eight years after it was first proposed, and five years after it was finally approved, construction began in August 2018 on a new 205-unit apartment complex one block from the UC Berkeley campus. Mill Creek Residential expects to complete Modera Acheson Commons in mid-2020. The project was the largest ever suggested in Berkeley when it was proposed in 2010. In addition to the apartments, the complex will have 14,000 square feet of retail. The apartment complex will retain the façades of the historic structures that were built on University Avenue in the early 20th century. New construction will go up behind the old buildings. The 1908 Acheson Physicians’ Building will be converted into residential loft-style homes, according to Mill Creek. STATUS: UNDER CONSTRUCTION
1950 Addison St. (east of Martin Luther King Jr. Way): A two-story office building in downtown Berkeley has been replaced by a seven-story building with 107 luxury apartments. A ground-floor parking garage will have space for 68 vehicles on lifts and 75 bicycles. Total project height is slated to be 74 feet. The units will be a mix of studios, and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Four of those units will be below-market-rate apartments. The developer is expected to pay $1.26 million into the city’s Housing Trust Fund. The property is owned by BayRock Multifamily. According to BayRock’s website, the company aims to begin renting in mid-2019. In June, Berkeleyside broke the news of a fatality during site construction. A large public art installation on the building is visible from Civic Center Park. Read more about 1950 Addison. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2016, UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Other projects under construction
2539 Telegraph Ave. (south of Dwight Way): The six-story, 70-unit Panoramic — formerly called “The Nexus” — took the place of a one-story office building where the nationally recognized Center for Independent Living got its start. The Panoramic, which also has an entrance on Regent Street, is set to include about 5,200 square feet of commercial space, some of which could one day be a café. Nine vehicle parking spots are planned for the retail use, but the rest of the project is car-free: Parking for 144 bikes is included. Developer Patrick Kennedy of Panoramic Interests brought forward the proposal. He told officials previously that the units are likely to be attractive to students. It’s listed as a group living accomodation, which generally means it’s a dorm. The project was approved in 2015 and, at time of last report, expected to be done by June. STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2019
2126 Bancroft Way (west of Fulton Street): A small clapboard house on Durant Avenue and surface parking lot on Bancroft Way are set to be replaced by a six-story mixed-use building with 50 units and ground-floor retail. The project site sits mid-block between Shattuck and Fulton, with Bancroft to the north and Durant to the south. It is set to include 413 square feet of ground-floor retail and garage parking for 50 bikes and 13 vehicles. The unit mix is slated to feature 10 studios, 30 one-bedroom units, two two-bedrooms and 18 three-bedrooms. Architect Charles Kahn said there would also be five below-market-rate units in the new building. The project was approved in 2016. STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2019
2035 Blake (west of Shattuck): In 2015, the zoning board was unanimous in its vote to approve “The Roost,” an 82-unit project at 2029-2035 Blake St., just west of Shattuck. The five-story building plans also include two live-work units, about 1,900 square feet of ground-floor retail, 68 parking spaces in a basement-level garage and 67 bike parking spots. Two of the vehicle spaces are dedicated car-share spots, and there will be 16 EV-ready parking stalls provided, according to project plans. Two commercial buildings, for Hustead’s Towing and Airport Home Appliance, were demolished to make way for the new project. Gemdale Properties has the project, now called “The Blake,” listed on its website as a “‘shovel-ready’ apartment site” that “will be the only area multifamily project which will include rooftop solar panels, resulting in energy cost savings as well as appealing to green-conscious area residents.” STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2020
2580 Bancroft Way (west of Bowditch Street): The project is an eight-story student housing complex, to include about 330 beds, right across from the UC Berkeley campus. The zoning board approved the project in October 2018. The Standard will be privately run and open to all tenants. Units will be “a mix of studios through six bedroom/five bathroom units, with a total of 301 bedrooms and 331 beds,” according to the staff report. Johnson Lyman Architects designed the plans. The development is set to have 122 units, 11,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial, and 37 parking spots in an underground garage. The western portion of the project site features the landmarked Fred Turner building at 2546-2554 Bancroft Way. The front of the Julia Morgan building will remain, while the rear is demolished. Expected commercial tenants and retail types were not discussed when the project was approved, but plans show four commercial spaces ranging from 1,500-3,000 square feet. STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2020
2510 Channing Way (east of Telegraph Avenue): The zoning board approved a use permit in September 2017 to demolish a two-story commercial building and construct a seven-story, mixed-use building with 36 units (with 144 beds), and 2,500 square feet of ground-level commercial space. The project, submitted by The Austin Group and designed by Johnson Lyman Architects, is called “The Den.” According to the applicant statement, “The design goal for The Den creating a project that blends in well within the surrounding architecture with particular emphasis on UC’s Maximino Martinez Commons dorm next door. The project will provide much needed student housing two blocks from campus.” In 2018, The Austin Group got approval from the zoning board to add an eighth story and four more units. STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2020
2067 University Ave. (west of Shattuck): A Dublin-based developer is replacing downtown Berkeley Vietnamese restaurant Anh Hong with a seven-story building featuring 50 units and a 1,500-square-foot ground-floor restaurant. As Berkeleyside reported in 2016, the year the project was approved, the building has no car parking, but will provide parking for 48 bikes, according to project plans submitted to the city. There is a roof deck. This project was approved unanimously by the zoning board in a consent calendar vote. Trachtenberg Architects designed the project. STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2020
2631 Durant Ave. (west of College Avenue): The zoning board approved the permit in 2015 to demolish an 18-unit apartment building and construct a new five-story, 56-unit building designed as fully ADA-compliant student housing. Appeals were filed, but the City Council upheld the zoning board approval in 2016. In its applicant statement, Berkeley-based owner OPHCA LLC wrote that it would cost more than $2 million to repair the building in its current condition. Many people opposed the demolition. The building, which was constructed in 1925, has been vacant since June 2014. To replace the rent-controlled units, the owner proposed that 20 of the new units would be offered at 65% of the consumer price index, “although rents would be allowed to increase to market rate upon vacancy. These 20 units represent habitable square footage comparable to … the existing 18 units, and would accommodate the same number tenants,” according to one staff report. After he was granted approval, the owner filed several lawsuits against the city. Berkeleyside has asked him for a status report. See project documents on the city website. The project was approved in 2015. STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2020
2503 Haste St. (east of Telegraph): The seven-story 254-bed dormitory, in the style of a “Moorish palace,” was dreamed up by Ken Sarachan, who owns a number of properties and businesses in the Southside neighborhood. The original project team — which included Kirk E. Peterson & Associates — said the building was inspired by Italian hill towns, Tibetan forts and the rock-cut architecture of Petra in Jordan. The design calls for “naturalistic” entrances made of rock, or concrete that looks like rock. The property has a long history in Berkeley. Sarachan ultimately sold the land, which has been listed previously in city documents as 2501 Haste, to Point Richmond-based West Builders. He reportedly required the new owner to stick with the exterior Moorish design. Under its new ownership, the project is now called “Enclave Dormitory.” The building was approved in 2017 and construction began in October 2018. West Builders estimates the project — which also has the address 2433 Telegraph — will be done in July 2020, according to its website. The building is classified as a group living accomodation (AKA a dorm). STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2020
1500 San Pablo Ave. (at Jones Street): The project is located at the former site of McNevin Cadillac. A three-story building was demolished to make way for a five-story mixed-use complex with 170 residential units including 11 townhouses, nearly 11,000 square feet of commercial space, 179 vehicle parking spaces and 184 spots for bikes. Sixteen of the units were set to be designated as below-market-rate apartments at the time of approval. The project was approved in 2016. See project documents on the city website. Developer 4Terra has said it aimed to open in the second half of 2019; the city reported in June that opening could be in 2020. STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2020
2747 San Pablo Ave. (between Oregon and Ward Streets): In 2015, the city approved a five-story building with 39 condominium units, two live/work units, one commercial unit (1,500 square feet) and 49 parking spaces. This project involved the demolition of a commercial building and surface parking lots. According to project materials, “The building would transition from five stories on San Pablo Avenue to three stories along the interface with the residential neighborhood to the east. Private gardens along the rear of the lot and podium and rooftop decks with gardens would provide open space for the project.” STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2020
1698 University (west of McGee Avenue): This project was approved by the city in its latest iteration in 2014 as a five-story mixed-use building with 36 units. The project, designed by Syncopated Architecture, takes the place of a vacant automotive repair station. It is set to include approximately 2,000 square feet of commercial space and nearly 25,400 square feet of residential. San Francisco-based Realtex secured the 2014 approval but, by 2018, the property had been purchased by United Commonwealth. The project ran into trouble last year when construction workers violated the terms of the city’s use permit, which required that trees on-site be preserved. As a result of the violation, United Commonwealth was required to pay five times the typical fees for new permits and inspections, amounting to about $8,600, according to the city. The property owner will also have to replace one lost redwood by following specific requirements, the city has said. STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2020
Other notable projects in the works
1499 University Ave. (at Sacramento Street): A small hotel slated to open later this year is hoping to transform an intersection near North Berkeley BART. The three-story, 39-room Best Western Plus has gone through two owners since Kava Massih Architects first began planning a hotel at the address in 2008. Salinas-based Berkeley Hospitality purchased the property from a Rohnert Park-based family in 2014, and will soon open one of the city’s two new hotels in the last 25 years, according to Berkeley’s visitor’s bureau. The tentative opening date is May 15. The site was formerly home to a Union 76 gas station that was demolished 11 years ago, and it is surrounded by residential units. Jiten Jadav, who runs Berkeley Hospitality, said he expects the mid- to upper-scale hotel’s main clientele to be tourists and people visiting the city for business. Room rates will start at $180 and fluctuate based on high-traffic seasons, like UC Berkeley graduation and move-in weekends. Guests will have access to a rooftop terrace, and a 33-space parking garage with 13 attendant-operated tandem mechanical lifts. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2010, UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Upper Hearst Development for the Goldman School (Hearst and La Loma avenues): UC Berkeley is forging ahead with its plans for a one-acre residential and academic complex at the top of Hearst Avenue, now entailing the demolition of the entire parking garage currently at the site. The result will be a five-story, 150-unit residential building and new three-story academic building for the neighboring Goldman School of Public Policy. The one- and two-bedroom apartments would house faculty, and post-doc and graduate students. The university hopes to start work as soon as September, contingent on the finalization of a new draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Review, where project plans are fleshed out. The plan calls for full demolition of the parking garage at La Loma and Hearst avenues, including the elimination of a sports field on the roof, and the reconstruction of around 200, or half, of the parking spaces and 52 bike spaces. This project will not go through the city’s planning process because university projects are exempt from those requirements. The city of Berkeley has sued UC Berkeley in connection with some of the project documents. STATUS: APPROVED BY REGENTS IN 2019
739 Channing Way (west of Fifth Street): Ten townhouses, four live-work units and one office designed by architect Trachtenberg got a green light in March 2018 when a neighbor dropped an appeal of the project after negotiating a compromise with the developer. The architect, representing property owner East Bay Channing, estimated at the time that the townhouses would be ready in 18 months. Trachtenberg, who got the Channing Way project approved in less than a year, attributed his success to a number of factors, including being flexible and working with neighbors: “It’s a contact sport trying to develop projects in Berkeley,” he said. “There’s a lot of engagement. You have to love that part of it.” STATUS: APPROVED IN 2018, UNDER CONSTRUCTION
1155-1173 Hearst Ave. (east of San Pablo Avenue): Approved in August, this condominium project “proposes to rehabilitate the seven existing dwelling units (three duplexes and one single-family dwelling) and add three two-story duplexes … for a total of seven buildings and 13 dwellings.” The residential development, owned by Hearst Avenue Cottages and presented by Rhoades Planning Group, has a community garden, play area, and vehicle and bicycle parking, according to project materials. Hearst Gardens was designed by Devi Dutta Architecture. The cottages have names like Azalea, Begonia, Edelweiss and Freesia, according to project materials. Initially, there were some three-story elements and a total of 18 units, but the project was revised in response to zoning board comments in 2017. The project has had a tough go of it before city officials. The zoning board approved the project in 2018, but an appeal sent it to the City Council in 2019. Council sent it back to the zoning board, but the board took no action. It is expected to return to the City Council in late 2019. STATUS: PENDING COUNCIL REVIEW
2100 San Pablo Ave. (south of Addison Street):
San Anselmo-based Spirit Residential Group plans to build Spirit Living, a four-story, 96-unit elder residential memory care and assisted living facility with ground-floor spaces to include a restaurant and dining room, arts & crafts and geriatric wellness areas, multipurpose rooms, offices and parking for cars and bikes. Spirit originally submitted the project as typical apartments and townhomes, but later changed course. The zoning board approved the project as a residential care facility in 2017, but it came back to the city in February to request design changes. A U-Haul rental facility used to be located on the parcel, but it has closed. A mural, by Youth Spirit Artworks, is proposed on the northwest corner of the building. The zoning board will have to review the changes. SF developer Realtex is proposing a six-story project on the same block, at 2198 San Pablo. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2017, MODIFIED BY APPLICANT IN FEBRUARY (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
2012 Berkeley Way (east of Milvia): Bridge Housing and the Berkeley Food & Housing Project, in collaboration with the city of Berkeley, are working to build the $110 million Berkeley Way project, the city’s largest-ever permanent housing project for homeless and low-income residents. The project was approved under state law SB 35 in December. Located at 2012 Berkeley Way, the six-story complex is actually two separate buildings: One will feature 89 rental units affordable at 50%-60% of the area median income. The other will offer 53 permanent supportive housing units for people who were previously homeless and 44 short-term shelter beds, 12 of which will be for veterans. The project team aims to break ground by the end of the year or the beginning of 2020 and expects construction to take two years. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2018 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
2009 Addison St. (east of Milvia): The Berkeley Repertory Theatre plans to demolish an existing commercial structure to make way for a seven-story mixed-use building with 45 rent-free units for theater professionals. The project was approved in 2018. In January, the Rep got permission to rent vacant units to other non-profit organizations for their program participants. According to a project applicant statement, the Rep estimates that 80% of the units will be occupied by its own workers. The project is an example of the “workforce” housing many community members say is needed to maintain Berkeley’s diversity as housing costs rise. The Rep noted in its applicant statement that it was having trouble securing financing for the project without any associated rental income. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2018 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
1601 Oxford St. (south of Cedar): An affordable housing project for seniors, on land at Oxford and Cedar streets donated by All Souls Episcopal Parish, won unanimous approval in November from Berkeley’s zoning board. Berkeley-based developer Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA) is working with the church to develop the new facility, to feature four stories of 34 below-market-rate rental units for seniors above a lobby and parking garage. The property will also have a manager’s unit and two units for use by the church. The city granted streamlined approval, under SB 35, for the project in December. STATUS: APPROVED IN 2018 (NO BUILDING PERMIT)
2748 San Pablo Ave. (at Grayson Street): Grayson Apartments is a 23-unit, four-story affordable housing complex designed primarily to “house and provide supportive services to lower income and special needs residents including youth aging out of the foster care system and people living with HIV or AIDS.” SAHA won zoning board approval to modify the project in 2014. All units in the building will be available to “very low income” households earning no more than 50% of the area median income, according to a 2014 staff report. The city put aside $1.4 million from its Housing Trust Fund to help pay for the project, according to a council report from 2017. Grayson Apartments also got a $3.75 million grant from the state, according to the East Bay Times. SAHA announced on Twitter earlier that applications for tenants would be available March 22. A lottery process determines who will get those coveted slots. STATUS: ESTIMATED COMPLETION IN 2019
1050 Parker St. (at 10th Street): Not housing but worth noting — Kaiser Permanente plans to build a nearly 61,000-square-foot medical office in West Berkeley with adult family medicine services, pediatrics, mental health care, a pharmacy and other outpatient offerings, according to Christopher Barlow of property owner Wareham Development. Kaiser submitted a letter of intent to the city in April 2018 about its wish to create the new campus. Kaiser plans to provide staff parking for 123 cars on the nearby Pardee Block, bounded by Ninth and Tenth streets and Carleton and Pardee streets. KP has said it could open in 2021. STATUS: APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN APRIL
Other permits: On hold
1900 Fourth St. (at Hearst Avenue): Time will tell what might be built on what’s widely known locally as the Spenger’s parking lot at 1900 Fourth St. The project tried and failed to get approval, under SB 35, to forge ahead with plans to build a 260-unit complex with 130 affordable apartments. The project’s location within the boundaries of the landmarked West Berkeley Shellmound has made its development deeply controversial. In November, property owner Ruegg & Ellsworth sued the city over the SB 35 denial, calling the city’s failure to build much low-income housing “shameful.” Ruegg & Ellsworth described its attempt to build 130 units of low-income housing as “apparently unprecedented for any private developer in the city” and said the city’s denial was “unlawful for many reasons.” The city, which has been joined in the lawsuit by the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, an Ohlone group, issued a response to the complaint in February, asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit. A hearing is set for April 16 for motions in the case, according to Alameda County Superior Court records online. STATUS: DENIED IN 2018, LAWSUIT UNDERWAY
1110 University Ave. (east of San Pablo Avenue): The property owner seeks to demolish the existing building — which has residential tenants in eight rent-controlled units and retail tenants Tower Cleaners and Judy Hair & Nails — to construct a car-free five-story, mixed-use building with 36 units and 2,731 square feet of ground-floor commercial. The project history is a bit of a mystery. It was submitted to the city in 2017 and was scheduled to go before the zoning board in August 2018 for its use permit. ZAB continued the matter to October 2018 but, according to project documents on the city website, the item was not heard that night. No other hearings have been listed. According to the applicant statement, toxic chemicals from 40 years of dry cleaning have “leached into the earth” and the state has required the property owner “to undertake urgent soils remediation.” That is why the applicant sought the demolition permit, according to the applicant. A community room, courtyard gardens, bike repair area and rooftop patio are among the proposed amenities. STATUS: INCOMPLETE; ON HOLD PER APPLICANT
3031 Adeline St. (at Emerson Street): According to the pre-application submitted to the city in 2017, the owner wants to demolish a one-story, commercial structure — current home of vegan Mexican restaurant Flacos — and build a five-story, mixed-use building with 42 units, 4,324 square feet of ground-floor commercial, and parking for 38 vehicles and 21 bicycles. Property owner Athan Magganas and project architect Moshe Dinar held a community meeting in December 2017 and told a small group of neighborhood residents that plans already had been scaled back in response to their concerns. Neighbors said they would still like to see less parking and more below-market-rate units in the building. The project site is by the old Marmot building, which Magganas also owns. He has been working to bring that building up to code and revitalize it in recent years. The initial project submission got a flurry of media attention due to concerns, in part, about the fate of Flacos. No official city meetings for the public have been scheduled about 3031 Adeline since 2017, but Magganas told Berkeleyside in March that work is still underway. STATUS: INCOMPLETE
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