BERKELEY | Projects: Under Construction, Approved, and Proposed

[homebucket]

And the rendering:



https://sfyimby.com/2024/05/renderin...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

An update! Also with updated renderings:

The updated specs for 2115 Kittredge St:
- 18 floors, 211 ft
- 211 units (133 studios, 66 2BR, 12 4BR)
- 22 of the units will be affordable
- 24,250 sq ft for the 325-seat theater
- Parking for 0 cars and 113 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HFuf6GchN4Dk3xJo9

City Rejects Appeal For 2115 Kittredge Street, Downtown Berkeley



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON JUNE 7, 2024

Berkeley City Council has rejected an appeal of 2115 Kittredge Street, the proposed 18-story apartment tower to rise above California Theater in Downtown Berkeley. The project requires partial demolition of the 1914-opened theater, retaining the facade and bringing a new live performance space below over two hundred new apartments. Gilbane Development is responsible for the project.

...

The appellant’s primary argument was that the application did not qualify for infill categorical exemption from full CEQA review. During Tuesday’s public meeting, the City Council sided with the city staff and upheld the infill categorical exemption.

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Studio KDA is responsible for the design. The exterior scheme is stylized with five golden fins rising above the Art Deco theater, taking inspiration from the historic facade. The gold fins will culminate on the 15th floor, while the top three floors will be set back with terraces, creating shared and private open space.

https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/city-rej...-berkeley.html

Updated specs and renderings

Originally Posted by homebucket

Updated specs:
- 201 ft, 17 floors
- 218 units (22 of which are affordable)
- 23,210 sq ft for the 355-seat theater
- Parking for 0 cars and 105 bicycles

https://sfyimby.com/2023/03/new-rend...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

And the renderings:





https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/city-rej...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

The specs for 2109 Virginia St:
- 7 floors, 88 ft
- 131 units
- 11 of the units will be affordable
- 1,200 sq ft for retail
- Parking for 103 cars and 103 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/skH3XLVh8tu1wsAu7

Permits For Housing At 2109 Virginia Street, North Berkeley



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON JUNE 6, 2024

Formal permits have been filed for proposed new housing at 2109 Virginia Street in North Berkeley, Alameda County. The project will bring over a hundred apartments to the corner lot, which is within walking distance of the Downtown Berkeley BART Station. Art Kapoor Realty Co is the property owner and applicant, filing through American Commonwealth Associates LP. AKR is working with the project developer Panoramic Interests.

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Trachtenberg Architects is responsible for the design. Illustrations show a familiar design style from the Berkeley-based firm, with off-white insulated metal infill panels above the cast-in-place concrete base. Retail space will enjoy floor-to-ceiling windows to promote a welcoming environment, and residents will gain access to a rooftop amenity deck that sets back the top floor.

The roughly half-acre property is at the corner of Virginia Street and Shattuck Avenue. Future residents will be less than ten minutes from the UC Berkeley campus and 15 minutes from the Downtown Berkeley BART Station on foot.

https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/permits-...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

Some nice infill here.

The specs for 2018 Blake St:
- 6 floors, 61 ft
- 12 units (1 studio, 5 4BR, 6 5BR)
- 11 of the units will be affordable
- Parking for 19 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/UVADoNvCVgaLoNWR9

Demolition Proposed At 2018 Blake Street In South Berkeley



BY: YIMBY TEAM 4:30 AM ON JUNE 7, 2024

Demolition permits have been submitted for a 2018 Blake Street in South Berkeley, Alameda County. The project proposal includes the demolition of a detached garaged on the site that was damaged in a fire. After demolition, the project site is slated to be developed with a six-story residential infill.

Tripalink is the project developer. DNM Architecture is responsible for the design, taking over plans from the San Francisco-based Fifth Arch. RW Stover and Associates is responsible for the landscape architecture.

...

The site is located on Blake Street between Shattuck Avenue and Milvia Street. The southwest corner of the UC Berkeley Campus is just seven blocks away, with the Downtown Berkeley BART Station just one block further, or 12 minutes on foot.

https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/demoliti...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

And the renderings:







https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/demoliti...-berkeley.html

[gillynova]

Anyone got recent photos of Berkeley? Have any of these broke ground recently?

[unpermitted_variance]

Originally Posted by gillynova

Anyone got recent photos of Berkeley? Have any of these broke ground recently?

I was just in downtown Berkeley the other day, lots of construction activity. More projects wrapping up than breaking ground right now, but overall it remains pretty active. None of the taller/more exciting projects seem to be underway yet, everything I saw was mid-rise. The only cranes up at the moment are for the UC Berkeley Gateway building: https://sfyimby.com/2023/07/construc...-building.html

[homebucket]

This one also cleared a big hurdle so will hopefully break ground soon.

UC Berkeley can build student housing at People’s Park, state Supreme Court rules
The court’s decision came after a years-long legal battle over environmental regulations for Cal’s development plan.
By Supriya Yelimeli
June 6, 2024, 10:25 a.m. Updated June 6, 2024, 4:59 p.m.

The Supreme Court of California ruled Thursday that UC Berkeley can build student housing on the historic People’s Park, dismissing a years-long case from plaintiffs who argued the university had violated environmental regulations in its planning process.

Neighborhood groups and People’s Park activists sued the university in 2021 to block the project, which plans for 1,100 student beds and about 100 supportive beds for formerly homeless residents. They said the project would create “social noise” that would negatively impact the neighborhood.

Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, along with a panel of judges, ruled that the plaintiffs’ argument, which alleged that the project would generate too much noise and that the university had violated state environmental law by failing to consider alternatives, has no merit — especially in light of a new law, AB 1307.

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2024/06...g-homelessness

[homebucket]

A refresher for the approved development at People's Park.

The specs for People's Park:
- 12 floors
- Housing for 1,113 students
- ~100 units for low income, unhoused, or formerly unhoused people
- 1.7 acres of public open space

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rscweCzgd8azExyE6

UC Regents Approve People’s Park Development In Southside, Berkeley



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON OCTOBER 5, 2021

The UC Board of Regents has approved plans for UC Berkeley construct a $312 million mixed-housing project to replace the historically significant People’s Park in Southside, Berkeley. The L-shaped complex would take up less than half of the existing park to create housing for 1,113 university students and roughly a hundred units for extremely low income, unhoused, or formerly unhoused people. 1.7 acres of the 2.8-acre park would become landscaped open space.

LMS Architects and Hood Design Studio are responsible for the architecture. The six-to-twelve story development will form around a tree-lined public park with a circular core along Dwight Way and a smaller park area at the corner of Dwight Way and Bowditch Street.

SITELAB Urban Studio assisted with the master plan for the development. Describing the final product, SITELAB writes that “UC Berkeley’s People’s Park project includes student housing, supportive housing and services for formerly homeless and very low-income residents, and a safe and welcoming open space that commemorates the significant history of the location.

https://sfyimby.com/2021/10/uc-regen...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

And the renderings:













https://sfyimby.com/2021/10/uc-regen...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

New thread: BERKELEY | 2276 Shattuck Avenue | 199 FT | 18 FLOORS



https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/permits-...-berkeley.html

[JManc]

That thing is hideous.

[homebucket]

Another design update. Continues to improve.

The updated specs for 1598 University Ave:
- 8 floors, 89 ft
- 207 units (149 studios, 20 1BR, 38 2BR)
- 21 of the units will be affordable
- Parking for 39 cars and 89 bicycles

The site:
https://goo.gl/maps/ohDN7B4C8jdYRD7U8

Meeting Tomorrow For 1598 University Avenue, Central Berkeley, Alameda County



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:00 AM ON JUNE 19, 2024

The Berkeley Design Review Committee is scheduled to review updated plans for an eight-story apartment complex at 1598 University Avenue in Central Berkeley, Alameda County. The project will bring over two hundred apartments near the North Berkeley BART Station. Nathan George of NX Ventures is the project developer.

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The new plan set was drafted by Minneapolis-based DJR Architecture, as with the previously approved design from May this year. The firm is taking over plans drafted by the prolific Trachtenberg Architect, who has worked on all other projects submitted by NX Ventures over the last few years. In the previous design review, city staff white that the “reduction in building details appear to be too drastic, and makes the building design appear too flat.” DJR responded by reintroducing sunshades and a prominent cornice to the windows and incorporating different metal panel profiles. The exterior will have fluted metal panels, light oak wood, and protruding sunshades.

The 0.66-acre parcel is between Sacramento Street and California Street, close to North Berkeley BART Station and a 15-minute walk from Downtown Berkeley. The proposal is one of nine proposals by NX Ventures for transit-oriented housing in Berkeley. NX could create 1,880 units across Berkeley at full build-out, including the city’s future tallest tower at 1974-1998 Shattuck Avenue.

https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/meeting-...da-county.html

Originally Posted by homebucket

Looks like this one got a design update. Looks a lot better IMO.

The specs:
- 89 ft, 8 floors
- 207 units (149 studios, 20 1BR, 76 2BR)
- 21 of the units will be affordable
- 5,940 sq ft for ground level retail
- Parking for 19 cars and 92 bicycles

The site:
https://goo.gl/maps/ohDN7B4C8jdYRD7U8

https://sfyimby.com/2023/05/new-rend...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

And the renderings:











https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/meeting-...da-county.html

[homebucket]

An update on this. No updated renderings yet though.

The updated specs for 1899 Oxford St:
- 7 floors
- 214 units (214 studios)
- 33 of the units will be affordable
- 3,420 sq ft for retail
- Parking for 15 cars and ? bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/YJmzwpxcUURjqj8Z8

Updated Permits For 1899 Oxford Street, North Berkeley



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:00 AM ON JUNE 21, 2024

Zoning permits have been filed for the corner lot at 1899 Oxford Street in North Berkeley, Alameda County. The proposal aims to replace a surface parking lot and eight rent-controlled homes with over two hundred units, a significant increase from the last application by Trachtenberg Architects. Berkland Foundation is listed as the property owner.

The project team is aiming to use a 96% density bonus by including 17 units of very low-income housing and 16 units of moderate-income housing. The State Density Bonus program allows the developer to increase residential capacity by providing a limited number of zoning concessions and incentives.

...

Trachtenberg Architects is responsible for the design, though updated project plans have yet to be published. The roughly half-acre site is located at the corner of Oxford Street and Hearst Avenue, across from the UC Berkeley campus and the neighborhood border with Downtown Berkeley.

https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/updated-...-berkeley.html

Originally Posted by homebucket

The specs for 1899 Oxford St:
- 7 floors
- 168 units
- 3,420 sq ft for retail

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/YJmzwpxcUURjqj8Z8

https://sfyimby.com/2023/12/prelimin...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

The specs for 1701 San Pablo Ave:
- 6 floors, 75 ft
- 110 units (59 1BR, 25 2BR, 26 3BR)
- All of the units will be affordable for BUSD employees
- Parking for 55 cars and 105 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xm6yCpKyum4WQRqz5

Renderings For Teacher Housing At 1701 San Pablo Avenue, West Berkeley



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:00 AM ON JUNE 24, 2024

New renderings have been revealed alongside building permits filed for a six-story affordable housing complex at 1701 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, Alameda County. The project will replace a portion of the Berkeley Adult School’s parking lot with over a hundred homes. Berkeley Unified School District is the property owner, while Abode Communities and Satellite Affordable Housing Associates will be joint developers.

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Oakland-based Pyatok is the architect. The bay window-adorned complex will be divided into several massings visually separated by setbacks and two distinct styles. Alongside the more familiar white stucco design, two sections stretch a mansard roof-like metal shingle from the sloped sixth floor to the sidewalk. PGAdesign is the landscape architect. The tree-shaded podium deck will be furnished with seating, five vegetable gardening beds, and a playground.

The complex will rise over the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Francisco Street. The 0.78-acre property will replace a portion of the surface parking lot for the Berkeley Adult School. The remaining 100 spaces will be retained, and the school will remain in operation.

https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/renderin...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

And the renderings:







https://sfyimby.com/2024/06/renderin...-berkeley.html

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by JManc

^ Hopefully, East Bay Spice Company will survive there or somewhere else.

Good news! Looks like it will.

Proposed 26-floor building near UC Berkeley turned a restaurant row into a ghost town
By Madilynne Medina, News Reporter
June 27, 2024

The scene along a stretch of downtown Berkeley paints a bleak picture of a once-thriving restaurant culture. Directly across from UC Berkeley, along portions of Center Street and Oxford Street, multiple vacant restaurant spaces have signs on their doors telling customers the restaurants have moved or closed for good. Other empty spaces are completely abandoned, with shattered windows and no signs of what was there before.

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Some other businesses relocated and plan to remain in Berkeley’s downtown area or near Shattuck Avenue, including Flavia, a legendary student haunt, Bongo Burger (now at 2505 Dwight Way), Yin Ji Chang Fen, Cafe Rio and Tibet Souvenirs. Top Dog recently closed its Center Street location of 20 years but maintains its Durant Avenue location, as well as its Oakland spot. East Bay Spice Company, a craft cocktail bar that was at 2134 Oxford St. for more than a decade, is coping with the inevitable by launching a temporary pop-up at sister bar Tap In Lounge on Shattuck Avenue while it prepares to unveil new digs just four doors down from its original spot.

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Green said she’s glad the restaurant owner didn’t resort to closing East Bay Spice Company. “He wasn’t going to let East Bay go because it’s like a really profitable business. It’s one of the most popular bars in Berkeley,” Green said.

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article...s-19541971.php

[AndrewK]

I wish SF Gate writers would actually do some research (like real journalists). I know it’s a tiny detail, but The Bongo Burger location on Dwight is their original location, the Center St location was their second.